Prue Alone
by Doug2
Summary: The Charmed Ones battle a demon and only Prue survives. Alone. Three part story.
1. Chapter 1

End of the Road

The fall air was quiet and tranquil on Prescott Street with the  
crispness of late October and a kiss of the smell of the summer green  
grass still remaining. Flowers still bloom in the garden though their  
lives were swiftly drawing to a close. Sharp low irregular sounds  
came from a great distance growing stronger through the afternoon  
stillness. Skidding around the corner was a white SUV weaving from  
side to side creaking with the short sharp sounds of braking and of  
the rubber sliding across the last curve with the unsteadiness of a  
drunken driver. Swerving to the left and then the right, missing a  
parked yellow car on one side only to run up on the curve and back to  
the far side of the road swerving the other way. Watching the car and  
the driver the motion of the car was not as random as a drunk driver,  
but as one who had very poor control of the vehicle. Swerving one  
direction, over correcting and braking seemed to the pattern. With  
the final sharp turn of the wheel the car ran on to the sidewalk in  
front of Halliwell Manor impacting the right front fender into the  
stone wall holding back the terrace of 1635 Prescott Street. The car  
door swung open and a hand reached to the roof helping the driver to  
be pulled from the car. Standing hunched over and clutching her right  
shoulder tightly to her chest was Prudence Halliwell. Her hair was  
soaked with sweat and matted against her bloodied silk blouse and  
torn leather pants. Her breathing was deep and irregular and her  
dirty face was  
alternating between pain and anguish. Leaving the car door open she  
limped up the steps to the front porch holding tightly to the porch  
railing. Disgusted that she couldn't reach for the doorknob with her  
disabled arm, she squinted slightly and the door flew  
open banging against the wall behind it breaking several pains of the  
multi-colored glass. Prue walked into the front door breathing  
erratically. Blood dripped on the steps as she walked up two flights  
of stairs into the attic that marked the center of their witchy  
activities. Hearing something Prue scanned the attic though nothing  
seemed amiss. The remains of their last potion still emitted smells  
of herbs and chemicals. The candles still stood vigil over the  
cauldron, unlit and unused. Walking over to the ancient Book of  
Shadows Prue seethed were her eyes blazing red.

"Why Phoebe? WHY?" she cried out to the ceiling.

With one flick of her hand the book flew off the stand twisting  
through the air and crashed through the window landing on the lawn  
below.

A small smirk of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"This is for PIPER!" she called out motioning toward the cabinet of  
herbs and potions as it slid across the floor breaking into a dozen  
pieces with glass bottles flying everywhere.

"And THIS IS FOR LEO!" she shouted as the furniture on the far side  
of the attic flew against the wall breaking and splintering.

"And this is for PHOEBE!" she again shouted as their cauldron,  
candles and table flew against the ceiling nearest her. Wind whistled  
thought the new ventilation hole in the attic.

Prue's breathing became easier as she plopped down on the old attic  
settee. Rubbing her sore and swollen shoulder she moaned and then  
flew down on the arm of the chair crying uncontrollably. "Piper! Leo!  
Phoebe! What possible purpose could it all mean? Why would it happen?  
Why? Why?"

With one flick of her hand the book flew off the stand twisting  
through the air and crashed through the window landing on the lawn  
below.

A small smirk of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"This is for PIPER!" she called out motioning toward the cabinet of  
herbs and potions as it slid across the floor breaking into a dozen  
pieces with glass bottles flying everywhere.

"And THIS IS FOR LEO!" she shouted as the furniture on the far side  
of the attic flew against the wall breaking and splintering.

"And this is for PHOEBE!" she again shouted as their cauldron,  
candles and table flew against the ceiling nearest her. Wind whistled  
thought the new ventilation hole in the attic.

Prue's breathing became easier as she plopped down on the old attic  
settee. Rubbing her sore and swollen shoulder she moaned and then  
flew down on the arm of the chair crying uncontrollably. "Piper! Leo!  
Phoebe! What possible purpose could it all mean? Why would it happen?  
Why? Why?"

White orbs filled the air round Prue and a young blonde women in her  
twenties appeared behind holding a package.

"Prue. This will pass too. Hush," she said soothingly.

Prue embarrassed by her actions immediately sat up, pushed back her  
hair and unconsciously wiped some of the dirt form her face. "Who the  
hell are you?" she said coarsely.

"Jenny. I'm a whiter lighter who worked with Leo. I thought you could  
still use this," she said opening the package and revealing the Book  
of Shadows.

"Burn it. I won't need it any longer!" she said sitting up  
stiffly. She had never sounded so determined. "I'm out of that  
business for good. Now get the hell our ..of MY house!" Prue  
concentrated on the blonde white lighter as she flew across the attic  
landing in the remains of the potion cabinet.

"Ufff! Prue! I realize the pain you are in right now.." said Jenny  
slowly as she picked herself up from the gooey mess of glass bottles  
and splintered wood.

"PAIN? You don't know what pain is!" sneered Prue her eyes red with  
the renewing of her tears. "Thanks to your all-knowing all-seeing  
bastards we went to rescue some cursed  
innocent and found ourselves in an ambush!" Prue wiped her eyes. "Now  
my beautiful sister Piper, her husband and my free-spirited sister  
Phoebe are now lying on the cold concrete floor of an abandoned  
warehouse dead. DEAD and gone! That's why I QUIT and that's why  
YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE!"

"If you'll just settle down. Let's work out your anger in some  
constructive manner,"  
Jenny said cautiously. She knew the power of Prudence Halliwell when  
her emotions were at their peak and did not want to feel her wraith  
again.

"To hell with your whitelighter psuedo-pyscho-babble. Guides? Ha! It  
was the guidance of your type that ended the Charmed Ones. We were  
supposed to be the ones that ended evil? Well it didn't last long and  
now you're not going to get any help from the last of the  
Halliwell's," said Prue breathing hard still holding her painful  
broken arm.

"Let me help you with your arm. Prue. I can heal your pain," said  
Jenny smiling a bit.  
Prue sneered looking deep into the white lighter's eyes. "Get away  
from me you cursed being. Don't come near me with your blood stained  
hands. Neither you nor any of your kind. To hell with you and your  
precious elders. I want nothing to do with you. TO HELL WITH ALL OF  
YOUR KIND!!"

"Prue I must warn you. If you cross the line, then you'll become a  
warlock. We cannot help you then," she said with a slightly ominous  
tone. In her present state, Prue could become one powerful demonic  
personage.

"Is that what you think? I'm not stupid. I've seen enough demons to  
know I don't want eternal damnation. I want my sisters back. That's  
all! And no more of this hocus pocus mumbo jumbo magic either. In  
fact, if I had my way, we wouldn't even ever have started, Jenny.  
Yes, that's my wish right now. That's what I wish!" Prue yelled to  
the ceiling with every last breath she had. It was her family that  
mattered to her than any demon or consequence that might come up  
against her now.

"Prudence. Careful with thy words. Magic is here and now and you  
never know what direction your words might take," she warned.

"No. I will take my fate in my own hands. Destinies can be changed.  
I've seen it myself dozens of times. Yes, I will make my own  
destiny!" said Prue who felt a new surge of power through her body  
and her emotions again reached a peak. Instead of the loss of her  
sisters, now she was filled with a purpose and goal that will  
hopefully undo the damage done this very day.

"Prue. What are you thinking of doing?" asked Jenny. The look on her  
face had almost an evil smile as Prue lowered her head and  
concentrated. A brief shine emulated from her body and then she was  
silent. "Where have you gone. Prue?" Jenny asked as she waited in the  
attic.

Prue opened her eyes and found herself in the parlor downstairs.  
Feeling her body everything seemed to be in order. She knew she was  
in her astral body since she could still sense a displaced presence  
from where her real body still stood. The room looked about the same  
as always except for the small calendar on the fireplace that read  
October 1998.

"Good," she thought to herself. "Shimmering with old Cole has taught  
me something about crossing time, space and astral planes."

Calmer now being before the tragedy took place, she looked around the  
parlor lovingly fingering the pictures and precious figurines.  
Walking into the dining room, Prue found flowers, a basket of fruit  
several get well cards for Penny Halliwell.

"Oh, Grams," she sighed with a tear. Grams had only a few weeks left  
to live having been in the hospital for quite sometime. "But this is  
the perfect time to do this," thought Prue as she swung around when  
she heard a noise behind her.

"Whoa, whoa! Prue! You scared the stuffing out of me. What are you  
doing here?" said her sister Piper who had dropped the bag she as  
carrying and now clutching herself tightly.

"PIPER!" Prue first screamed and then calmed down.

"And what have you been up to? You look like you've been in a  
catfight and the cat won," she said calmer and lovingly. Piper calmly  
picked up the bag. "I'm here on laundry duty. Grams insisted we  
recycle her three favorite nightgowns everyday. I'll sure be glad  
when she gets home. Between school and the hospital and taking care  
of my apartment. Whoa! How did you get here? Jeremy gave me a ride."

"Jeremy? Oh right. Well, I was had an accident. I couldn't drive so I  
took a cab here that was closer. An.."

"All right. Let me get the emergency kit and I'll take care of you.  
Thinking you can do it yourself? Prue you'll never change. You know  
the emergency room is where you belong. Where did you hurt your arm?"  
asked Piper coming back from the kitchen with the kit.

"Um, some boxes fell on me," lied Prue.

"Poor Prue. Kinda brings you down on the humble meter a bit. And when  
did you start this leather look? Kinda kinky to your normal suits.  
But, Prue always knows best," sighed Piper starting to work on her  
sister.

"I sure wish I did," said Prue wincing a bit at her sister's medical  
attention.

"Oh, my poor dear. Little Piper's not going to hurt you," she teased.

Not wanting to run into another sister Prue asked, "Where's Phoebe?"  
who did still live at home.

"DO we have head injuries too? Phoebes is up in the mountains with  
Frank or Francis or Fred, whoever her current crush is. I can't keep  
track of them. She does need someone to steady that girl. At least  
you have Roger and I have Jeremy. You'll be married soon and if this  
works out with me. Who know?" said Piper smiling to herself.

"Yea, who knows!" sighed Prue though see knew the answer to the  
question.

"Here you go! Some of those nurse thingies are rubbing off on me. I  
must be spending too much time there. You'll be with Grams when you  
get off from work?" asked Piper snapping the lid shut on the kit.

"Sure. Can I help with the laundry?" asked Prue trying to move her on.

"Thanks, but I just need the clean ones. I'll run by before school  
tomorrow and finish it. Jeremy has to get me back He is in the middle  
of an assignment right now. Bye, Prue. See ya tonight!" said Piper  
happily.

"Yea. Tonight," said Prue as Piper ran through the door. Meeting her  
earlier sister threw Prue a bit.

Ascending the stairs Prue approached the attic door.

Taking one quick breathe and she pushed on it, but it would not give.  
The attic had been magically sealed from her magic deprived  
granddaughters. Prue concentrated for a moment and then tried to  
force the door open. She waved both hands at the door and it still  
refused to budge.

"You were good, Grams," Prue said softly to herself. "But I have more  
tricks than you can imagine." Prue lowered her head and vanished  
reappearing inside the attic. "Never seems to change," commented Prue  
as she reached for the trunk that the book was hidden in. A faint  
glow appeared from inside in. A thin layer of dust lay on it. Prue  
pulled it out of the truck and tossed it onto the table. "Phoebe why  
did you ever look in that damned trunk! It was the end of all of  
you." Prue grabbed the caldron, some newspaper, broke up some wood  
and some old charcoal she found in a corner. Mixing them in the  
cauldron she soon had a blazing fire going. An evil smile came to  
Prue's lips as she lowered the Book of Shadows over the red flames.

"Prue, what are you doing!" called out a voice from the dark corner.

Prue swung around squinting into the darkness. "Who is that? I am  
doing what I have to do!"

"No, wait. Loose that book and it will mean your destruction!" came  
another warning.

Prue shook her head. "It has already destroyed us. WHO ARE YOU?"  
called out Prue.

A shadowy figure came from the darkness. The spirit of Patty  
Halliwell.

"Mom?" asked Prue dropping every possible bit of anger.

"Why are you doing this, Prue? Do you know what it is? How did you  
even get in here?" asked her mother who shimmered in the half-light  
of the attic.

"I know who I am. And Piper and Phoebe. I came from a time before us.  
A time..A time in which my beloved sister Piper and my wonderful  
sister Phoebe are dead. Killed while defending someone, Mother,"  
Prue said without a shred of emotion.

"But you're the Charmed Ones. You're the most powerful witches who ever  
lived," said Patty.

"Powerful, yes. But still mortal and still subject to error. We made  
a mistake. One that I intend to correct now. If we were never  
witches, then we would at last be alive and happy. It was too high a  
cost, Mother. You should know more than anyone what can happen while  
you try to help the innocent," said Prue. "That afternoon by the  
lake. I remember and have nightmares still about it."

"Oh my darling," said Patty putting a hand to her mouth. "Both my  
younger daughters? Oh Prue, I wish I could hold you for just a  
second. You've discovered both the blessing and the curse of the  
Warren women. I died doing what I had to do. I had so wished you'd be  
strong enough to survive. But you can't change what was meant to be  
and you can't change the past."

"Just watch me mother!" called out Prue as she picked up the Book of  
Shadows and tossed it into the glowing fire. The book spit and  
sputtered and glowed but did not blacken or burn. "As I said you can  
not change what was meant to be.

"The book represents powerful magic for good and it can't be  
destroyed or taken form the house. Put it back in the box. Let  
history be restored. Time must resume its course my dear. If you are  
the only one left, then you must help others from now on," explained  
Patty looking lovingly at her daughter.

"No, mother. I can't not on, not ever again. The practice killed my  
sisters, her husband and your first grandchild. I don't have the  
strength to go on," said Prue as she collapse on the old settee.

"Prue, you don't have the strength? I do not believe that of you. You  
were stronger than us of all, except maybe Grams. If there is a way  
to save your sisters, then you must find it. You cannot give up the  
magic any more than you can give up thinking or doing what YOU think  
is right. That trait is deeper in you than any of your sisters. Have  
faith my darling," Patty told Prue.

"I'm doing what I THINK is right, Mother!" said Prue crossly.

"Only because you hurt now; the hurt will lessen with time. Though it  
won't go away like the love for your sisters won't ever die. And if  
you honor their memory, then you will accept that they died for what  
they believe in, in what you truly believe in, Prue. So return. Leave  
this place to those who live here. Be yourself, be happy and be true  
to yourself, Prudence," said her mother who smiled as she did when  
they were very young.

"Yes, mother," Prue, said quietly as her mother vanished.

"Be true to yourself, Prue," said Patty as she vanished.

Prue sighed put down the book and vanished returning to 2001.

Jenny had watched Prue carefully as she stood in the middle of the  
attic silent, solemn and tall. Only when Piper applied the bandages  
and the alter ego yelled in pain did the real Prue wince slightly in  
her trance. It was not unlike when you see someone react to something  
in a dream.

Prue opened her eyes and had a great sadness or loss behind them. She  
sighed and went over to the Book of Shadows running her hand over the  
rough leather cover.

"So you couldn't do it?" asked Jenny sympathetically.

Prue shook her head. "No, it wouldn't let me. The magic, the  
tradition, the legacy was too strong. I cannot stop being what I am.  
I realize that from something that my Mother said," replied Prue  
reflectively.

"If you aren't who you are, then you're not true to yourself, Prue, "  
said Jenny. "Even white lighters have the same vision and  
responsibility."

"I won't deny who I am, but I can also control it and IGNORE IT!"  
said Prue angrily. She picked up the Book of Shadows and placed it  
back in the ancient trunk. Covering with some old clothes, Prue  
slapped down the creaking lid.

"I won't deny who I am, but I can also control it and IGNORE IT!"  
said Prue angrily. She picked up the Book of Shadows and placed it  
back in the ancient trunk. Covering with some old clothes, Prue  
slapped down the creaking lid and snapped the  
latch shut. "I'm still through with this hocus-pocus, Jenny. I'm  
going to do this cold turkey. No more magic!"

"But Prue, evil will still find you," pleaded Jenny.

"Maybe, maybe not. The Charmed Ones were major targets in the evil  
shooting galley. I think I can hide behind one of the ducks. And if  
someone should come my way,  
they need to watch out. I'm pretty powerful when I'm pissed! And  
speaking of that, I'd like to be alone. JENNY!" said Prue flashing  
her eyes at the white lighter.

Jenny felt that she had done all she could for the time being. "Of  
course Prue. I've been assigned to help you out so if something does  
come up I'll let you know. Evil is there whether you acknowledge it  
or not. Peace with you," said Jenny as she disappeared in those funny  
white sparkles.

"It better be a long time," snorted Prue. She picked up the phone to  
report the death of her family and then she called Darryl.

True Prue

Prue in her best black dress, black hat and veil stood in front of  
her friends, Grams' friends, her father, Darryl and her sister's  
friends and colleagues. Only a select few new the secret, knew about  
their other worldly encounters. Prue approached the podium. With all  
the other arrangements she had not even considered what to say so  
without a thought Prue stood up in front of everyone naked and raw.  
No front, no self-imposed facade, nothing to hide behind. Up there  
was the true Prue.

"Piper, Phoebe, Leo. They were my sisters, they were my friends. All  
full of life, but now gone. All gone. We four felt compassion, a  
drive to help people. And we did. We felt we should give our all for  
it. And we did. We gave Piper, Phoebe and Leo. Was that our all? Was  
that everything we could give? No, because you kind people are here.  
Because you respected them for what they did and what they stood for  
they will not be forgotten. And I thank you for that. I love these  
three people more than my own life. But here am I still living  
without them. But I too will remember. I must remember.

Piper. Always in between us and always ready to spout off when she  
thought things weren't just right. I was a lot like that, but I would  
never show it. I think of the three of us she could express her  
emotions most honestly. She had a great deal of love that  
held us together but had no resting place for it until she found her  
husband, Leo.

Leo. All he ever wanted to do was to help people. He was the  
personification of kindness, warmth and good humor. And we even  
though sometimes we would tug and tug at him, he was always there for  
us. Especially for the one he loved even after death.

So full of life –

Phoebe, dear Phoebe. She had more life and love in her than all of us  
combined. She seemed at times remote, distant and hard to understand,  
but she was the complete opposite of me and it was very difficult for  
me to know her. I wish that I could have  
tapped fully into that free spirit of hers. She did help me break out  
of my shell and made me a better person for it. Thank you Phoebe."

Now in an unaccustomed display of public emotion by the most  
controlled of the Halliwell's, Prue just stopped entirely crying. Her  
father tries to approach her, but she holds up her hand to stop him.  
She daps her eyes, straightened her dress and veil and  
then continues. "And now we all say good-bye. I can never forget  
their impact upon my life. They may be gone, but the love I have for  
them will always be there. Piper Phoebe. Good-bye until we meet again  
my darling sisters."

Prue stepped down very stiffly with her father helping her. Sitting  
down she broke down again in her arms while the minister waited. Prue  
thanked her father, sat up and nodded to the pastor to go ahead. He  
began to pray.


	2. Chapter 2

Return to the Fold

Six months later spring had come. The flowering trees were in bloom  
and 415 magazine had taken advantage of the beauty and was doing a   
spread on the interracial beauty if the city. Women from cultures  
spanning the globe had assembly in the latest summer fashions and  
Prue was in her favorite place, in command of the entire affair.

"That's great. Oh, yes. Now smile. Think of something nice. Turn to  
the left. Look up. To the right. Great. Tank you. Now Ms. Woo. Over  
by the Dogwood tree. Very nice. Fit her shawl. Fine. Now look over my   
left shoulder. Good. Right shoulder. Great. A serious expression. No  
not dowdy. Fine. Smile again. Look at the bridge. Beautiful. That's   
fine.  
Now one step this way. Ok. Look down. Wave to your right. Now look at   
something far away. Look at my feet. Great. Thank you. Boy." Prue put  
her camera down grabbing her  
water bottle.

"Ms. Halliwell. This color is just not right. The stands will clash  
with the bathing suits and that tie the carnival barker is wearing  
will disappear in the sunlight," said a harried set designer.

"No problem. Move up the shorts sets over to the carnival display and   
we'll shoot the swimwear in front of the bridge. And the barker can  
go tie less. No find him a scarf," explained Prue.

"Genius, just pure genius" she said running off.

"Yea, right. Just common sense," she said to herself. "Now where did   
the Brazilian twins get? Paul, Paul,"

"Yes, Prue," said her assistant.

"Where's the Brazilian, couple. I need them next,"

"Uh, I think they're still in make up. I move up on, boss." He said   
scampering.

"Prue, not boss. Oh well, at least he's good." Thought Prue as she   
went to her camera gear.

"Some set up you have here!" said a familiar voice behind her. Prue   
swung around and saw Darryl standing there with a big grin. "Hello,   
Prue."

Prue's face lit up and she hugged him hard. "Oh Darryl. It's good to   
see an old friend."

"You haven't been in circulation much among them lately," said Darryl   
looking over the thin Prue.

"I know. I'm sorry. Just been working too much lately.

"Trying to work or just forget?" asked Daryl.

Prue shot him a quick startled glance. "No, just building a new life.   
Or more continuing the one I started out with before Phoebe came back   
from New York. That seems safely in the past. I hope."

"Well, then you're not going to want to hear about this. I need a  
little help of your kind. Prue," said Darryl shaking his head.

Well, then you're not going to want to hear about this. I need a  
little help of your kind. Prue," said Darryl shaking his head.

Prue took a moment. "What he hell, but not here. Compared to my   
sudden disappearances from Buckland's here I'm considered pretty  
normal. Tonight after ten. Meet me at the Manor. I'm not going to  
finish here much before then. OK. Darryl?" smiled Prue a little   
nervously. 

"Fine. I'll be there. And take care of yourself, Prue. I really worry  
about you," he said calling back to her.

"Sure. See you then. Bye. PAUL, where are those twins?" Prue called   
out turning away from Darryl.

Darryl shook his head and then walked back to his car.

Later that night Prue sat down a kitchen table with Darryl. He was  
dressed down after having gone home and eaten. Everything looked  
pretty good around the Manor. Little had changed though the Manor had  
a little more of Prue's touch now.

"..and after only talking to a few people, in walks Piper's first   
assistant, Amanda Landers.  
She was looking for a job and I brought her back that weekend. Now  
the place is really hopping and I gave her a 25 stake in P3. She  
really took off after that," said Prue excitedly. She hadn't had   
company or even a date in three months.

"Planning on expanding? Piper was looking into a restaurant addition"   
Darryl reminded Prue.

"I don't know. Not unless the right person comes along. I don't  
really have the time to break in someone new. And I hate to pull  
Amanda from the great job she's doing. If we do anything, it might be  
open another club. Someday," said Prue sipping her  
coffee again.

"And how's that photo bit?" asked Darryl.

"Fine. The mag is keeping me busy, but I'm taking on some spec jobs  
too. I may have to get an office in town. The little room is the  
basement is just too small and I'm not turning this place into a  
photo studio. This is my home," said Prue raising her voice a  
bit.

"Good touch. I know about you busy-ness. I've tried getting you on  
the answering machine and hadn't heard from you," complained Darryl

"Damn, have I not checked that again? I'll give you my beeper number.   
Without many contacts with friends, that old thing has been gathering  
dust" smiled Prue.

"So how are you really holding up, Prue? You look like hell if you  
don't mind me saying so," said Darryl.

"Trying to sweet talk me? No, being busy keeps my mind off of it. I'm  
not going to fold up and die because of it. Though I haven't had any   
witchy problems in weeks. I'm even doing my own fetching now. I  
haven't levitated anything in a long time. You know it gives you a  
great a sense of accomplishment doing everything the mortal way. I  
did it for 27 years. Not that I don't miss and still love my sisters,   
I'm just not going to turn this house into a mausoleum and my life  
into one long memorial service. Now what brings you back to the  
magical halls of Halliwell Manor?" asked Prue interested in a new   
challenge.

"A mystery," said Darryl flatly.

Prue smiled. "That was always our specialty. Can you elaborate?" 

"For about three weeks we've had some break-ins accompanied by  
murders. There's been no apparent robbery and all the women were  
living alone. Nothing too unusual though they did seem to own a wide   
collection of candles," explained Darryl. He  
spoke in a monotone as if he had rehearsed the facts or gone over  
them in his head again and again.

"And what made you thing of us? The women could have been aroma or   
incense practitioners or survivalists. Just because they're living  
alone doesn't make them witches, um... though I seem to fit that  
category. There must be something they had in common," Prue said   
quietly.

"Yes, Prue. We always found one of these at the scene of the crime."   
Darryl reached in his pocket and pull out a token with a six sided  
figure made of trapezoids not unlike the figure on their own book. It   
appeared to be made of gold and the symbol had been engraved on it a  
very long time ago.

"It's lovely. Some kind of token or calling card I would suspect. Or  
maybe some kind of magical significance. Off hand it doesn't remind  
me of anything. Let's check this thing out. Come on," said Prue   
patting his hand

"You want me to come up there?" asked Darryl a little nervously. He   
had never been in their coven place.

Prue wrinkled her nose. "Come on, I won't bite and I won't turn you   
into a toad. Besides I really would like the company since I haven't  
done this since before the funeral. OK?" asked Prue smiling   
peacefully.

"All right. Let's go do some magic," exclaimed Darryl who couldn't   
believe what he was saying.

Prue shook her head. "Not really. Just research. I'll check out my   
black hat later."

Up in the attic Prue opened the door for the first time in months.  
The attic smelled mustier than usual. Snapping on the light Darryl   
looked disappointed.

"Where's your altar and cauldron?" asked Darryl.

"I'm pretty modern here. We still need the herbs and hocus–pocus  
words, but I don't think Grams ever owned an ugly big black pot"'  
said Prue as she went over to the trunk. She opened up the lid and   
thought she saw the book glowing a bit. "Lonely in there? Get used to   
it. This is an emergency!"

"Your book talks to you?" asked Darryl getting more confused by the   
minute.

Prue smiled to herself. Amateurs. "No, Darryl. Just scaring away a   
few of my own demons. You see I'm really a reformed witch, but as a   
favor to an old friend let's see what the book saws." Prue propped   
the book up on the ancient bookstand.  
"Tokens, tokens, tokens," she hummed to herself. "Hmmm. I'm a little   
rusty at this. Phoebe was the expert. Huumm. Here you are. The  
Medallion of Lyonheart. It's really a transport device that  
materializes before the warlock appears and then remains after he  
leaves. It belongs to the Delton Ghouls. How appropriate. They are a  
coven of warlocks that use the powers of good to their own advantage.   
Interesting. Umm. It says that they present themselves as good  
witches and then scheme to get what they want. That's it?" said Prue   
closing the Book of Shadows. She furled her brow in heavy thought.

"What's wrong Prue? Doesn't that help?" asked Darryl wondering what  
was bothering his friend.

"No, that's only half the answer. It gives us a name and a modus  
operandi but not what they are really after. What they want must be  
extremely important if they risk killing for it. How many murders  
have there been?" asked Prue looking for other clues.

"Six, but there may have been those we never heard about if the  
murderers covered their tracks," said Darryl drumming his fingers on  
the bookstand.

"Maybe, but probably not. I never knew of demons or warlocks that  
were particularly neat with their crimes. Give me a list of their  
names. There's another source I've used before and I'll do some  
checking tomorrow, Darryl. There has got to be more to this puzzle,"   
said Prue.

"I just happen to have it here. Let me know the first thing, Prue.  
And you be careful out there, you hear?" said Darryl. "I'm worried  
about you out there alone."

"No problem. Alone is now my specialty!" said Prue taking his hand   
and smiling.

Faking a sick day, Prue was up early heading to the west side of  
town. Her blood was racing as it hadn't since they're last demonic   
encounter. As much as she had sworn off the whole witchcraft world,  
she still remembered the rush that she and her sisters got going  
after supernatural thingies and impossible odds. These rushes of  
adrenalin had gotten quite addictive.

Reaching an obscure Wicca shop along a formerly trendy street Prue  
walked in as an off-key bell announced her arrival. A middle-aged  
woman who held her looks and figure well with blonde hair and blue  
eyes lit up when she saw her.

"Prue! Blessed be. What a pleasure. It's been much too long," she   
called out with sincere appreciation.

"Sabrina. It is so good to see you. How is everything with you?" said   
Prue smiling broadly and offering her hand. Of all the true  
practicing good witches they had met, she was they only one who  
hadn't crossed their paths due to demons or trouble. She  
ran the Wicca Envy Shop and had often offered keen insight and advice  
to them in their novice witch days.

"Nothing ever changes here. Business is good especially with the  
millennium grabbing everyone's attention. I'm so sorry about your  
sisters. They were such kind and caring souls. And as witches. Lord  
o'mercy. They lived up to every expectation of the  
fabled Charmed Ones," she said sorrowfully. Seldom had her shop had   
such a distinguished customer as them.

"Thank you Sabrina. It was a rough time, but I have some other  
strange business here  
today," said Prue solemnly.

"Relate your tale, my dear," said Sabrina.

"I'm searching for a link between these six witches who were recently   
killed by the Detnal Ghouls. Can you help me out? Our book could not  
pin down the exact reason  
for the murders," explained Prue handing her the list.

"Let me see, dearie. Hmm. A couple of the names sound familiar. Let  
me check my grandmother's notes. This shop has been in my family  
since the first war," she said proudly.

Sabrina went through some lace curtains into he back. "I've got it,"   
she called out. Bringing out what looked like an old diary she placed   
the volume before Prue. We Farrell's have kept a good handle on the   
witch community here for a number of years.  
It's good business. Now Margaret Winslow was the great grandmother of   
this Miss Franker. And this Miss Russell was the great granddaughter  
of Roberta Roseman. Constance Berger was he great grandmother of this   
Miss Wilson. And the same  
goes for Mrs. Wendell Summerset and Miss Eva Silverstein. And Miss   
Josephine Gale and Mrs. Laura Nicholson. They were all members of the  
same coven here in San Francisco in late nineteenth century. Each of   
these good witches held a piece of the  
Giza Obelisk. My grandmother is very clear about that. And our   
genealogical tables trace them to these six witches, Prue," she said  
tapping her book to make a point.

Prue looked intrigued. "And what is that? It sounds interesting."   
Prue never lost her antique gene.

"Oh, it's nothing you want them to get a hold of. A hundred plus  
years ago a ship came to San Francisco. One of the sailors had an  
Egyptian artifact stolen from the tomb of some Pharaoh. It was held  
in the temple of the God Ra and protected there from all forms of  
evil. This human did not know what he had," Sabrina said mysteriously.

"And it was???" asked Prue anxiously.

"A key to a door way. A doorway that could unleash all the evil from   
the bowels of Hell onto this world. Some demon tried to steal it, but   
the human out foxed him. He hid it on his passage to San Francisco  
with the intent of selling it. He sold it to a coven  
of witches who broke it up into seven pieces and passed down though  
the witches' families. If what you say is true they have six of the   
seven pieces," warned Sabrina.

"Why didn't they just destroy it?" asked Prue.

"They tried, but it was formed by powerful magic and their attempts  
only broke it into the seven pieces. So instead of risking it being   
found, they separated them and guarded it well for at these the last  
120 years. Their descendents must have given their lives for it. My  
they all find peace," she said bowing her head.

"Hmm. I'm surprised that haven't tried getting the obelisk before  
this. OK, then who is the seventh witch?" asked Prue taking out a   
paper and pencil.

Sabrina replied "Desire Witcomb. She lives in New York City and I  
take it that she is alive because no harm has befallen the world.  
Yet. Do you think you're up to it, Prue Halliwell?"

"I guess I have to be. SO if I can destroy this final piece..."   
continued Prue.

"The key will be useless to the coven of Ghouls. But be warned.  
Others may be helping them for all of evil will benefit from the  
success of their mission," Sabrina said mysteriously.

"Whoa. Nothing like jumping back in the pool full of ice water. Thank  
you Sabrina. You have been very helpful and it looks like I'm off  
onto a plane. Maybe Clay can give me a place to stay?" Prue mumble to   
herself. 

"Farewell. My dear. Success and happiness," she said as Prue left  
with very determined look on her face.

The ground came rushing up to Prue as she looked through the plane   
window landing at Newark International Airport. From her vantage  
point she outraced the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike as the towers  
of lower Manhattan loomed in the background. First the back wheels  
hit the ground jostling the plane followed by the front wheel that   
gently rocked the passengers and the plane taxied to the terminal.  
Prue held on tight as she wished this day were over. All her fears of  
the last six months came rushing at her at once. The loss of her   
sisters, re-entering the magical world of demon fighting, going up  
against an unknown adversary without the aid of the three Charmed  
Ones, the apparent fate of the whole world in the balance and her own   
faith in her ability to deal with everything. Her greatest fear was  
the loss of faith in herself. Up until this very moment she had kept  
so busy as to not to deal with her losses, but now she had to. And  
the very worst part for her was she was going forward completely out  
of control. Having no control over the situation was her worst fear.

"Miss, Miss," came a voice that startled Prue enough to make her  
jump. "Miss, you can deplane now. Welcome to New Jersey!"

"Oh, yes. Thank you. I was just lost in thought. Thank you,  
stewardess," said Prue not actually smiling. She picked up her  
overnight bag and her camera bag.

"Big appointment? Business or pleasures?" asked the stewardess trying   
to calm Prue.

"Definitely business. Excuse me," Prue said running off the plane.  
Entering the main terminal she saw the car rental signs pointing to  
the monorail. Climbing the steps she nervously waited for the  
monorail and took an empty car all by herself. Curling up in the  
corner clutching her travel bag; Prue felt a little extra comfort.

Turning onto the New Jersey Turnpike Prue drove her Ford Taurus  
toward the Staten Island exit. She found that Desire Witcomb lived on   
Staten Island with her husband and two children. It was strange being  
back on the East coast. She had made one brief visit to New York City   
when she was eighteen, a graduation gift from Grams. She so much  
wanted to go to school in the East, but Grams had talked her out of  
it. At the time Prue thought that she was just being overprotective,  
but now she realized that Grams wanted to keep the Charmed Ones  
together at all costs.

The witch Witcomb lived in a modest two-story bi-level on a typical   
1960's subdivision street. Children played all around as Prue parked  
on the street and went up to the door.

"Here goes nothing," sighed Prue as she rang the doorbell.

A little six-year old girl answered the door.

"Hi! My, you're pretty. Can I speak with your mommy?" Prue asked very   
cheerfully. She looked a little like Piper did at that age.

"OK," she said quietly and ran off.

Two minutes later a 35-year-old woman in slacks and a sweatshirt came  
to the door.  
"Yes, can I help you?" she asked smiling.

"This may sound strange, but may I come in talk to you. I'm think  
you're in danger and I am here you help you," said Prue. "Can I   
come..." The woman put on a mask of fright and slammed the door in  
Prue's face.

Prue knocked again pleading with her to open the door. She could hear   
scurrying around while children's names were being called. "Please  
open up. This is very important!"

After another minute the garage door opened and the family van came  
racing out of the garage. Though at first startled Prue thought that  
she had to do something drastic. Concentrating on the car both of the   
tires on her side of the car, they blew out  
simultaneously. The car quickly dragged to a stop. The woman's scared  
eyes went ballistic as Prue approached the car. All of the car doors   
locked and the woman appeared to be praying or chanting. Suspicious  
Prue looked around as several garden tools came flying out of the  
garage toward Prue.  
Suspicious Prue looked around as several garden tools came flying out  
of the garage toward Prue. She held up her hand to deflect them, but   
they immediately burst into flame.

"What in the hell was that?" she said out loud. The woman began to   
chant again as Prue concentrated and made the door fly open. The  
woman backed away from her protecting her children.

"Mrs. Witcomb. I came a very long way to help you. You could at least  
hear me out!" said Prue quietly and patiently.

"That's what I expect you warlocks to say. Then you want to destroy  
my family and me. Go away. Umm la fa ma, no stogata.." she began to   
chant.

"Look I am one of the good guys. I know the modus operandi of the  
Ghouls of Detnal.  
I know what they've been trying to collect. I'm here to stop them.   
There's more at stake here than just your lives. The whole world  
depends upon it," warned Prue patiently.

As a garden house raced up to strangle Prue, she concentrated on it  
and it melted to nothing. "I have got to check on my powers," she  
thought. Not using them did not allow her to keep up with their   
development.

:"My name is Prue Halliwell and I'm a good witch form San Francisco,"   
explained Prue reaching out her hand.

"Ha, I caught you in a lie. The Charmed Ones are all dead. My mother   
wrote me about that!" said Desire still protecting her kids that were   
near frantic by now.

"You've been misinformed. Actually my..um two sisters were killed.  
I'm solving this mystery on my own. If we could go inside, maybe we  
can help each other out. Please?' asked Prue smiling. It was  
difficult dealing with a nervous anxious mother.

"If you aren't one of them how did you find me?" she hissed.

"I connected Sabrina Gatherers, a Wicca apothecary we've dealt with   
over the years,"  
She knew where to find you,"

"You know Aunt Sabrina?" she said letting part of he guard down.

"Bingo," thought Prue.

Prue coached Mrs. Witcomb from the car though she did send her kids  
to a neighbor's house. These were things she didn't want her children   
to hear about. Though they knew about their heritage she hadn't   
described the true dangers that can come being from a line of witches.

"My mother gave me the artifact to guard just a couple of years ago.  
It had been passed down from mother to daughter. Um.. I had heard of   
the loss of the other witches through by aunt and my mother. You can   
imagined how terrified I was knowing that I  
was the sole surviving holder of the secret," said Desire quietly.

"Did you know what would happen if all the pieces were reassembled?"   
asked Prue.

"Yes, I do know of the legend. I never took much stock in it until   
recently after the murders. I just don't want anything to happen to  
my children. They're my most precious things," admitted Desire.

"Well. We'll make sure that nothing does happen," smiled Prue. "Can I  
see the remnant of the obelisk?" asked Prue.

"No. I'm not still fully convinced that you are the real Charmed One.  
If I should that would be violating a family oath that goes back four   
generations. It would mean Armageddon. Or worse. And with my kids.  
I'm their sole protector and with all those evil  
things out there I feel like I'm the only one who can do it  
successfully. I just don't want to fail at that. Can you understand  
that, Prue?" asked Desire.

"Boy, do I ever," smiled Prue. "Not only did I feel the same way   
about my sisters, but you know when they died I really felt like I  
let them down. We always said we'd be there for each other, but when   
that last battle came I FAILED THEM. OH GOD!"  
cried Prue in Desire's arms. "They needed me and I just messed the   
whole thing up. I'm here alive and their lying in some cold grave.  
Alone. All gone!" she balled.

"That's not entirely correct," said a familiar voice. Prue stopped to   
listen.

"Get off your sorry butt there, sister," said another. Now Prue sat   
up tears streaming down her face, but now fully paying attention.

"Piper!" she called out.

"Present!" Piper said cutely.

"Hi, Prue," said Phoebe waving to Prue. Both of their imagines glowed   
there in Desire's living room.

"Good heavens, ghosts!" she exclaimed looking shock.

"Not an uncommon occasion in my life. Piper, Phoebe. What brought you   
back?" asked Prue now fixing herself up.

"Oh, just trying to help you out. You looked like you could use a pep   
talk. Kind of backwards the way things used to be," said Phoebe.

"We never been far, but you didn't need much help with your job. Then   
you seemed to get back in the saddle, but it looked like you fell off   
the horse there," said Piper looking cute.

"So you three are the Charmed Ones?' asked Desire quietly.

"'Were' is the operative word," said Phoebe. "We lost the last big   
one."

"And Prue that was not your fault. Stop taking the world on your   
shoulders. That was one of your most lovable faults. You still have a  
life to live. Ours is over," lamented Piper.

"I just can't help feeling that I failed you somehow," said Prue   
walking over to her sister's apparitions.

"Prue, we were ambushed. Someone had us rescuing that Indian witch  
and they overwhelmed us. If anyone should have seen it, it should  
have been the little sister with the hint of the future. We lost,  
Prue. Don't grieve over us. Dead is not so bad once you  
get used to it," Phoebe reassured Prue.

"And we'll always be near you. Phoebes and I kind of took over for Mom   
and Grams. SO if you see the pages of the Book of Shadows flipping,   
think of us," said Piper.

"I put it away. I don't plan on using it again," said Prue. "My days  
of being a witch are over."

"We have a little problem with that, Prue. That's one book you can't   
return to the library. If you aren't careful we'll be seeing you  
sooner than you think," said Phoebe.

"Yep. You can't run away from your destiny. That's one thing we can  
see from here. We'll help you when we can, but we're ghosts not   
fortunetellers. And be careful of these Ghouls. They are very tricky.  
Very tricky. And there are a lot of them. So watch your back, big  
sister. Gotta go," said Piper waving.

"Yea, we stayed as long as we can. Good luck, Prue. I still love  
you," said Phoebe as they both vanished.

"Guys, wait! Oh bosh. I LOVE YOU TWO, TOO! I can't believe it. I have   
ghosts for sisters. Incredible," said Prue sitting down hard on the   
couch. 

"And loving ones too," said Desire.

"Yea. Well, now do you believe me?" asked Prue looking totally raw by   
now.

"Yes, Miss Halliwell. We can go get the artifact. I feel much safer  
now," replied Desire

"And call me Prue. Please," requested the surviving Halliwell.

In the local bank vault Prue and Desire pulled out a safety deposit  
box that had not been used for some time. Inside Prue found a small  
box tied shut decades ago.

"Ohm, I love mysteries. May I?" asked Prue excited.

"Go ahead," said Desire not interested in the curse on her family.

Grinning from ear to ear, Prue cut the ancient brown string and  
lifted the box top. Inside was a small velvet pouch discolored from  
age. Opening the pouch she found a broken piece of a stone figure. 

"Definitely old though broken recently. Chiseled letters, maybe  
Egyptian hieroglyphics. I can't make out the figures, but it has  
something to do with magic. Fascinating. If his wasn't so deadly. It  
might be worth something," said Prue.

"One little rock that can cause all of this trouble? Let's go take  
care of it, Prue. The sooner the better," said Desiree.

"Agreed. Prue and Desire walked from the vault and handed the safety  
deposit box back to the back employee.

"Thank you," said Desire.

"You're welcome," the woman said as she turned into a white-faced   
warlock with horns.

"Oh, God! This is not good," said Prue as she sent her flying   
backwards. 

As they ran from the bank Desiree mumbled an incantation and the  
whole bank froze.

"Neat trick," said Prue as she ran through the parking lot and into   
the car. Putting the car in gear, two more warlocks appeared behind   
them. Prue backed the car into them knocking them down and she headed  
down the main street.

"We have to get out in the open," said Desire "or it might get messy."

"Agreed" said Prue as he gunned her car staring out the rear view   
mirror.

"Head for the Goethals Bridge. We'll be safe in Jersey!" suggested   
Desire.

Across the bridge they drove onto the New Jersey Turnpike heading  
north. Coming to Interstate 80 they headed west.

"How far do we have to drive to get out of this urban sprawl?" asked   
Prue. There were still plenty of nearby hills one could get lost in  
around the San Francisco area.

"Almost to Pennsylvania I dare say. Unless you want to drive clear up  
into New York State," explained Desire.

"Let's stick to the highway. I just hope those demons aren't  
following us in cars," worried Prue. Twin lights of a state police  
car ran up behind them. "LIKE That ONE!"  
As Prue served to the right hand lane. The police care sped passed  
them with its siren wailing.

"That was close!" said Desiree.

Prue shook her head. "Maybe too close. They could have something   
waiting for us up ahead. I think they know our every move and can  
wait till we're most vulnerable. We best keep up our guard."

"Agreed," said Desiree.

"So tell me, what's the basis of your magic? I only see you chanting   
something. Do you have any special powers?" asked Prue.

"No. My ancestors were Celts. And we handed the secrets of ancient  
Celtic magic through scores of generations. I cast spells, as I need  
them. Nothing too elaborate, but if you need something frozen or  
levitated or the like, I can do it," said Desire still  
anxiously looking out the back window.

"Any good at foretelling the future?" wondered Prue.

"No. Second sight is not among my talents," said Desiree sadly.

"Hadn't you ever tried to destroy the stone before this? " asked Prue.

"Like I said earlier, I really didn't believe in all that legend.  
None of the pieces have been touched the whole of the twentieth  
century. The demons had never tried to go after it. Now I'm afraid we  
witches have waited too long," lamented Desire.

"Then it's up to us. I know we can do it. It's not the first time we  
went up against the powers of Armageddon," said Prue defiantly as she   
sped down the highway through northern New Jersey.

Driving stiffly ready for most anything, nothing was in front of her  
until a string on white faces warlocks appeared across the road. Prue   
gasped and swerved onto an exit ramp.

"You should have run them down!" said Desiree. "They probably wanted  
us to go this way.

"I know. But at least were heading away from them," replied Prue. 

But Prue certainty was short lived. The demons purposely droved them  
off the next exit, through the small town of Sparta and down a two-  
lane road.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Prue asked Desire.

"No. At least there are plenty of people around here," Desire   
observed.

But again her confidence was shattered. The houses disappeared and  
woods on one side and a swampy area on the other surrounded her. Prue   
slammed on the breaks as a line of demons formed of in front of her.  
After stopping, they were surrounded. Prue grabbed Desire's hand and  
they headed for the swampy marshy areas. Throwing her hand toward the  
two demons in front of them they fell back, but the other demons only   
seemed to smile.

"Quick, over here," shouted Desiree pointing to the far woods.

"No, it can be faster heading down the creek," cried Prue running as   
fast as they could through the heavy grasses.

Just as they got out of sight of the car, one warlock appeared in  
from of them. Turning around another one appeared behind them. Then  
two more and two more and finally a total of eight.

"Give us what we want, witch!" cried a very demonic baritone voice   
reaching out toward Prue.

"Only on a cold day in hell," shouted Prue.

"We'll never let you have it. Not like the others," cried Desiree.

"They were of no consequence just as you are not," he creaked and   
threw a lightning bolt at Prue who deflected it.

"It's either the world or us Desire," whispered Prue.

Desire replied weeping, "I know that now, we'll just have to…"

"Quick, give me the piece of the Obelisk, I think I can do what your   
great-grandmothers, coven couldn't," said Prue.

"Witch give it up or DIE!" shouted the same demonic figure.

Desiree pulled it from her coat and dumped it on the ground. Two more   
fireballs were hurled the two witches which Prue took  
care of.

"I haven't had much practice lately, but I think I can give this  
thing a greater jolt than I used to," explained Prue. She   
concentrated intensely and the stone glowed for a moment. It became  
redder and redder and then exploded.

"No!' shouted the warlock. "This is not happening. You infidels. We   
can take out you. You're no match for us just like your sisters  
weren't. "

Prue's face when flush purple. "It was you?" she shouted with all the  
hatred at her command. "Down," she said to Desiree.

"What's that?" she asked.

"GET DOWN!" yelled Prue.

All the warlocks started throwing fireballs at Prue. Eight different   
warlocks from eight different directions. Left and right she  
deflected then using her hands and using her eyes. They flew back  
toward the warlocks. Two of them burst into flames themselves. Then  
Prue stopped for a moment heaving in anger breathing heavily. Her  
hands started to glow and she spun a round faster and faster sending  
out dozens of the same fire bolts. Whole patches of the marsh caught   
fire as do each of the warlocks. They let out an unearthly scream and   
vanish in a ball of flame. In just under a minute this one witch Prue   
had  
destroyed them all. Only the smell of scorched marsh grass remained.

Desiree stood up. "Remind me not to get mad at you!"

"I always seem to surprise myself when I get really angry. Not a bad   
thing when you're in a spot like that. You all right, Desiree?" asked   
Prue.

"I don't think I'll be bothered again. And the other pieces are  
useless without that one which is gone for good. Thanks Prue," she  
said hugging her.

"My pleasure," she said helping her back to the car.

"Care for a good meal?" Desiree said smiling.

"Absolutely," replied Prue starting the car and heading back to her  
home.

New Friends

Everything was quiet in the conservatory as it had been for the last  
seven months in most of the house. Streetlights could be seen through  
the windows as Prue sat on the couch with a large bound book on her  
lap. Prue sipped a cup of coffee as she gently flipped the pages. Her   
face was very peaceful as she looked at old pictures of her family.   
Piper, Phoebe, Mom, Dad and Grams. She smiled just a little  
remembering a Christmas from long ago. It was the last time her Mom.  
Grams, Piper and Phoebe were together. The pictures showed them all  
opening presents on Christmas morning. Now they're all gone.

"Oh my dear, family. Life takes the cruelest turns. I'll never forget   
you, but I have to move on," thought Prue. She ran her hand over a   
picture of all five of them, let a tear run down her cheek and then  
closed the book. Pushing back her hair, she picked up her cup and  
sipped it again. Looking up she saw shimmering globes forming in  
front of her indicating the arrival of a white lighter.

"Hello, Prue," said Jenny with just a hint of a smile. She honestly   
looked like she wanted to see Prue for the first time.

"Hello yourself. Trouble in magic land?" asked Prue half kidding and   
half serious. She took another sip and put her coffee down.

Jenny shook her head. "No, just worried about you. I haven't seen   
much of you lately."

"I'm fine. I think. Yes, I'm definitely fine for the first time in a  
long time. I comfortable with myself and I finally am ready to bury  
the past. I love my sisters dearly, but I have top move on. I realize  
I might have done more to save us, but I've come to realize that it   
wasn't my fault. We were ambushed," admitted Prue.

"You lost two sisters and Leo who was also a good friend of mine.  
That's why I wanted to be your guide," said Jenny.

"Leo was the best. And Piper and Phoebe were very loving wonderful   
sisters. I will always treasure them. I may regret having been  
spared, but I AM HERE and I have a JOB TO DO. Thwarting evil runs in  
my family and I will have to keep it up. And  
pass it on, if I ever have anyone to pass it onto. And Jenny. Thank  
you. I know I can work with you. We just have to get to know each  
other better. How about some coffee?" asked Prue smiling and standing   
up.

"I really didn't plan to.." said Jenny hesitantly.

"Please," said Prue pointing to the kitchen,

"I'd like that. Tell me more about Piper and Phoebe," she said.

"Have I got tales for you!" she said smiling broadly as they headed   
for the kitchen.

Down Texas Way

Prue returned to her work. Photographer by day and social bunny by  
night with an occasional detour into the demon hunting market. In the   
absence of her three sisters, Prue powers grew accordingly though  
warlocks and demons did not venture near her very often. The total  
magical punch of the three Charmed Ones attracted demons, while one  
lone hit-witch merely helped those in need without being a ripe  
target herself. Jenny was an infrequent, but welcome visitor acting  
as Prue's eyes and conscience just as Phoebe had in the past. And her   
life moved on with her two sisters still watching over her.

Christmas time. Prue was busy running around the kitchen fixing  
dinner for her current steady Mark Grayson. After two months Prue was   
finally going to subject him to her cooking. Both being very busy,  
they had always eaten out, but Prue was going to  
try-out her rusty culinary skills. Chicken Kiev was always one of  
Prue's specialties, one of about three dishes. The Manor had not  
looked so clean or festive since the three sisters had roamed around  
the Halliwell Halls. A Christmas tree decked out the parlor and the   
other public rooms were bright and cheery. Prue laid out the good  
china, set up the candles and the silverware and heard the beeper  
call her. Dinner was ready. Prue ran  
back into the kitchen, put on her oven mitts and pulled her dinner  
from the oven.

"Ummmmm!" she said smelling the finished product. She quickly turned  
around slamming the baking dish into the kitchen table.

"NOOO!" she screamed as the chicken breasts flew across the room and  
then stayed immobile in mid-air.

"What the hell?" Prue exclaimed. "I froze them?" Prue stood shocked  
only momentarily. She plucked the chicken breasts from midair and put   
them on the counter as the dish resumed its course landing on the  
floor. Prue picked up a rag happily cleaning up the mess for her  
dinner had been saved.

Ringing out the rag she thought to herself. "Another new power? Life   
never seems to be dull around her. I can move objects now without  
seeing them, throw fireballs, blink form one place to another,  
materialize metal objects, project myself and my original  
telekinesis. What next? Turning into a pumpkin?" Smiling to herself  
Prue fixed up the rest of her dinner and puttered around the kitchen   
waiting for Mark.

Hearing the front doorbell, Prue skipped from the kitchen to the  
front door. On the other side waiting nervously was Mark.

"Beautiful flowers for my most beautiful of ladies," said Mark  
handing Prue a cone of flowers.

"Gladiolas. You remembered. Thank you, Mark. That was awful sweet of  
you," gushed Prue. She reached up and kissed the six four former   
linebacker. Mark had green eyes and sandy brown hair and a reddish   
moustache.

Mark shrugged. "It was the least I could do for a free meal." He   
smiled.

"Don't expect too much. I didn't get the cooking gene in the family,"   
said Prue happily as they went into the kitchen to put away the  
flowers. 

"You sure look great tonight, Prue. But then you always look just   
perfect, darling," said Mark softly leaning up again the wall just   
watching Prue walk around the kitchen.

"Ha, you've only seen me at my best. Dinner is almost ready. There's  
some wine on the counter over there if you would open it for us,"   
said Prue pointing to the far counter.

"'48? I'm impressed!" Mark said admiring the wine.

Prue reached into the cupboard getting out Grams' antique wine  
glasses. "My grandmother left us a few bottles. They have been in the   
family for years. I only open them on special occasions."

"Oh?" asked Mark pulling out the cork.

"Or with someone very special," said Prue quietly as she poured the   
wine.

"You are something pretty special yourself Prue Halliwell. To a very   
special lady," Mark said raising his glass.

"No, to the two of us," said Prue softly. She sipped here wine and   
then embraced Mark kissing him very passionately.

"And I could have killed Piper. Here we were in the middle of a  
terrible rainstorm and she announces that Phoebe was moving back in  
with us. I turned around and theirs my youngest sister standing there   
soaking wet holding the house key. At the time  
Phoebe and I had some issues to work out so it wasn't a typical  
family reunion. And then the lights go out! What a night that was!"   
laughed Prue.

"It sounds like a memorable evening," replied Mark.

"None of us will ever forget that night," said Prue looking sipping   
her wine and looking though the glass.

"You must have had a lot of good times with your sisters," remarked   
Mark.

Reflecting Prue said, "Good and bad times, but mostly we watched  
after each other through the bad times and laughed our way through  
the good times. I miss them,"  
she said quietly looking down.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have brought up bad memories especially  
tonight," said Mark taking her hand.

Prue felt a rush through her arm at his touch. She blushed and looked  
up at him slightly shocked for behind her the white orbs of Jenny   
appeared. Her face mouthed "Oops," and pointed to Mark and then   
smiled finally looking urgent. Prue raised her hand straining with  
all her might and froze Mark.

"Jenny, please. Not tonight. Things are pretty serious between us  
right now," said Prue

"Temporal stasis? Impressive. Prue you are a marvel. I only know of  
some warlocks that have the power at your command," said Jenny   
looking curiously at the frozen beau. "And very handsome to. A little   
Robert Mitchell and a little Henry Fonda."

"Please Jenny, Can't this wait till morning? Late in the morning?"  
Prue said defiantly.

"Trouble is brewing Prue. We need your type of help. Does he know?"   
asked Jenny pointing to Mark.

Prue shook her head. "And that scares me more than any demon right   
now. So Jenny, dear friend. Orb out and I'll see you tomorrow. I   
promise," said Prue raising her hand.  
Now please go. I don't know how long my freezes hold yet."

"Fine, till tomorrow then," said Jenny smiling as she  
disappeared. "Good luck!" came her voice from nowhere.

Prue looked down, waved her hand and Mark continued, "I'm having a   
wonderful time. Weren't you looking up a moment again?" asked Mark   
perplexed.

"Ah, I'm a little rusty at that," Prue said very quietly to herself.   
Time had eroded her reactions to time stasis. "Ah, no. Let's see. Oh   
yea. I do miss them, but I'm pretty much over that. Now tell me more   
about your family, Mark. Please," said Prue looking  
deep into his eyes.

"Well, my family is originally from Missouri, but we moved out here  
when my Dad was working for General Dynamics back in 1969. We were a   
close family…"

Prue just held his hand tightly listening like she could do this   
forever.

The old grandfather's clock in the hallway struck twelve as Prue and   
Mark snuggled in each other's arms at the front door. Again the orbs   
appeared behind them as Jenny appeared. Prue's eyes opened wide and  
she pointed with them toward the parlor. Jenny smiled and disappeared   
into it.

"Well, I guess I better get going, Pruie," said Mark.

"Yea, too bad though, I had a wonderful time. I'll see you Christmas  
eve right?" she asked coyly.

"Pick me up at my office. I have a little something for you," said   
Mark.

Prue resisted the urge to ask about it. "I'm sure it's just perfect,   
so long, Sweetheart. Till the.."

"Bye, Pruie. I'll call later," he said kissing her again and then   
leaving.

Prue smiled waved and closed the door leaning on it dreamily.

"Good date, I would surmise," said Jenny coming from around the   
corner.

"Ummm. But that doesn't feel like dating anymore. We have something  
more. Time will till. Whatever it is, I like it. So what's new in the   
white lighter world? Nothing good I would surmise," smiled Prue.

"Definitely. The Elders desperately need your help. An arch demon,  
the highest most powerful type has started a venture to destroy all  
the white lighters. He'll be very hard to get, but we need your help  
to do that," said Jenny.

"Another dangerous mission'?" This getting to be your standard song.   
Every time something big is up, you call on good old Prue. What ever   
happen to simple little innocents showing up on our doorstep? Things  
were a lot easier back then!" said Prue  
thinking back.

"Well, Prue. If you want the truth," said Jenny hesitantly.

Prue looked deep at her. "Yes, please!"

"Well, helping the innocent was rather easy though a definite duty of   
witches in general. You and your sisters got a lot of those duties  
because there we're three of you and they felt that you could handle  
it. I mean tortured soles, and lost ghosts and witches in peril are   
simple compared to going up again the Triad and those upper demons,"   
explained Jenny  
looking more like a college professor giving a seminar.

"Again. Go on," said Prue.

"Well, Prue. You possess a great deal of talents and have expressed a  
lack of interest lately, so you've been save the few real heavy jobs  
we have to do," said Jenny proceeding with her lecture.

"Great. I'm your number one hit witch now? I'm the Jane Fonda of the  
demon busters?" asked Prue.

"Yes indeed, but don't worry Prue, I'll be there with you. We'll have  
you prepared. He may be big, but he's not unbeatable," said Jenny.

"Fine. Let's get this over with. I want to get back to my life!" said   
an annoyed Prue.

"Easy, sweetie. We need to go to Dallas. This major bad guy is  
working out of Texas," said Jenny.

"You think? And Dallas? I can't be away for too long and..

Jenny shook her head. We're only an orb away. No need for airline  
tickets. Jenny Airways is open for business. Now to the facts. An  
upper demon named Fratus has been turning the minds of every good  
witch in Dallas. In fact every good witch in a  
hundred miles has been joining his legion," explained Jenny.

"Legion? Sounds pretty early Roman to me," laughed Prue.

"You got it. This demon is using all their magic to move on the old  
San Angelo mission. One of the religious artifacts is a device of  
great power. Among other things its can be used to control not only  
the minds of witches, but those of mortals, too. We are not sure of  
his intent, but he could reap a lot of havoc with it," warned Jenny.

"So I what, save the thingy or battle him? What the best approach,   
Jenny?" asked Prue unsure of her course.

"Deal with him directly. He does have his weak point. South African  
native pottery,"  
explained Jenny.

"You're kidding. A demon with fetish for mortal art? They're usually  
beyond that.  
I mean the mortal world is what they want to conquer not collect,"   
said an astonished Prue putting her hands on her sides. Every demon  
Prue had met has been completely bent on evil.

"Strange, but true, Prue. And you have an appointment with him  
tomorrow morning to show him this," said Jenny as a pot appeared in   
front of her.

"How lovely. Definitely a very old native African artifact. Two or  
three hundred years old I'd say. Not my specialty at Buckland's,"   
admitted Prue shaking her head. "Hand thrown, earthen colors,  
probably of some ceremonial usage."

"You'll know everything you need to by tomorrow. And then after  
you're in, you'll have destroy this little gem." A bronze car with   
green emerald eyes appeared before them.

"Now that I can at least categorize. Egyptian. Fifth dynasty.  
Beautiful condition," said Prue admiring it. "An after world guardian   
from the markings on it. Ebony wood encrusted with emerald and some  
other precious stones."

"He channels his power through this cat. It was originally used to   
control the minds of the slaves that built the pyramids. The last few   
centuries various demons have used it to do the source's bidding. The   
destruction of this device will be a great set back to evil in  
general. You can't use any of your powers until the very last minute  
or you will loose your cover," warned Jenny as she made the cat   
disappear. 

"Getting kind of sleuthy here aren't we? Not the kind of undercover I  
like. I prefer the direct approach," said Prue.

"Not in this case. You will have to be Georgia Charleston, a well-  
known fence of hot art works. The Elders will have her on ice until  
your done. The cat is in the main drawing room. His estate is guarded  
by dozens of magical witches. Very tough to get into  
to. But destroy the cat and he will is powerless. And then you can  
deal with him," said Jenny.

"Ah, OK," said Prue still unsure.

"Don't let your guard down and don't use your magic," said  
Jenny. "I'll take you there, but you'll be on your own in the.."

"The lair of the lion," finished Prue.

"Right. We have a lot to study tonight! Let's get to it," said Jenny  
as a lap top full of information appeared'

Prue sighed as she started to brush up on her first love. Antiques.

At three o'clock the next afternoon, Prue found herself standing at  
the front door of Forkworth, the estate of a powerful oil baron in  
the state of Texas. Though an upper demon, he kept a high profile  
human cover and was one of the king makers in Texas politics having  
helped governors, senators and a certain individual who now resided  
in the White House. Prue had appeared at the Dallas-Fort Worth  
airport with Jenny to rent a car. The dark haired Prue now sported a  
blonde short hairstyle and had vivid green eyes  
with a little help from the white lighter's bag of tricks.

After being driven to the estate house she was led into a large  
parlor sporting an impressive collection of paintings and statues. In   
walked a smallish man in a very expensive suit.

"Miss Charleston?" he asked very directly.

"Yes, when do I get to see Damian Upperhouse? I am in big hurry!"   
snapped Prue acting very impatient.

"Mr. Upperhouse will be with you shortly. I saw you admiring the   
Gauguin," Damian said pointing to the painting.

"Cute, for a copy!" she snapped.

He shook his head. "My, you're good. Several well-known experts were  
fooled by it. The original is with Mr. Upperhouse's other trophies in  
the vault. Please come with me," he said motioning to the door.

"Mr. Upperhouse, Miss Charleston," he announced at the door.

A large impressive man sat behind an impossibly huge desk wearing the   
usual Texas cowboy hat. "Ah. Miss Charleston. A pleasure, sweetheart.   
Sit down right over there, darling. You'll call me Doo." 

"Pleasure, Doo" said Prue reaching over the desk. She sat down in a  
very low chair while her demon-host looked down at her.

"Now may I see the little old pot? It makes' my good ol' country boy   
heart just a palpitate thinking about it. I really want ta add it to  
ma collection," he said greedily looking Prue over.

"I've read about it. Very impressive," said Prue coldly staring up at   
Mr. Upperhouse.

"My, aren't you the little ol' clap trap. Now how did you acquire my   
little piece of Afer-can history?" he asked lighting up a big   
expensive cigar.

Prue looked very annoyed. "Please Mr. Upperhouse, Doo. We don't ask   
questions like that in my line of business. And I must be clear on  
the price. Five million dollars plus a thirty-five per cent finder's   
fee."

"How do I now that you haven't jacked up the price way up high? How  
much did you pay for it, my pretty little darling?" he asked leering   
at Prue.

"Again that is between my client and me. You expressed an interest at  
that price. My duty is to deliver the genuine article to you and  
provide the money and anonymity to my client. All quite anonymously.  
Now do you wish to examine it or not?" asked Prue  
getting up to leave.

"You sure are sure of yourself. Damn, of course I'm interested. We'll   
venture into my little ol' inner sanctuary that doubles as my own  
little private art gallery. You'll get a kick out this, Missy," he   
said chuckling. "Follow old Doo."

"I can't wait," said Prue with some interest.

"You'll find several interesting pieces in here," boasted the demon   
leading her through a vault door and into a round room filled with  
paintings and other artifacts.

"These are the gen-u-wine originals to the copies in your outer  
gallery," said Prue looking over the original antique works.

"I find that it's betta to keep them out der and these in here for my   
eyes only. And here is my Afer-can pottery that I find so dear to ma   
heart," said Mr. Upperhouse sounding very proud.

"Very nice. You have four hundred years of native history here. I see  
you have specialized in the witchdoctor's urns. Very rare some of  
these. The colors are still so vivid," explained Prue walking through   
his small exhibit.

"Dem magical things have always fascinated me. Now your piece, please   
darling," he asked putting his hand out.

Prue carefully opened her package. She knew he could just take it,  
but he seemed to want to maintain his mortal image and that she was  
safe for the moment.

"As you can see its in excellent condition. An old holy man used it  
for purification rites. The colors are quite unique especially the   
purple. And look at the lettering. It calls upon the ancient ones all  
around to draw out the evil in their subjects," explained Prue   
pointing to the various figures.

"Yes, yes. I know the history. Now let me hold onto it. Very good,   
Wonderful I feel the power of this piece," he said feeling the power   
flowing from all nature around him.

"Excuse me?" asked Prue.

"I'm sorry, missy. I do consider myself a bit psychic. And I feel the   
power from it's past use. Nothing for you to worry your pretty little  
head about. This would be fine. I assume that cash is appropriate?"   
he asked still staring at his new possession.

"It is only way I do business," said Prue sundering over to the   
demon. 

"Fine. Dinky. Go prepare the amount. Anything else you'd like, Miss?"   
he asked  
leering at her.

"Hmm. Just looking. That Rembrandt is nice. Care to part with it?"   
she asked pointing at it.

"Not for a mite under $200 million dollars, darling," he said playing   
with cigar still leering at him.

"Too bad. A bit pricey, but cute. I see you like the Egyptian art  
too. The scepter of Cleopatra I think. And that wall art lists the   
Egyptian Prayer for the Dead. Very impressive. Where did you obtain  
that?" she asked looking over at the demon.

"As with you, I prefer to keep my sources anonymous," said the demon.

Prue's smile disappeared. "Of course. Now, where did you get that   
guardian cat?"

"Again, I chose to decline to answer. Let us check on your  
withdrawal, Missy.  
Come with me, please," Mr. Upperhouse said motioning to the door.

"Fifth dynasty. So well preserved. May I examine it?" Prue asked   
reaching for the cat.

"NO! Step away or our business is concluded!" he commanded.

"OK, OK. I wouldn't let my curiosity kill the cat so to speak," said   
Prue holding her hand up as to push him away.

"Please come with me," he said returning to character.

Prue agreed knowing where the cat was located. She would have to come   
back on her own. Leaving the vault room the hall was lined with other   
women all wearing dark blue uniforms.

"You like your guards on the feminine side?" commented Prue a bit   
sarcastically.

"They do have certain advantages, " he sneered.

Prue strolled around and brushed beside one turning the corner. The  
witch looking straight ahead appeared shocked.

"That woman is not who she appears to be, my lord," she said.  
"Well, I never!" said Prue as the demon motioned toward her and her   
disguise dissolved.

"Believe me you well never again!" he chuckled. With one wave of his   
hand, Prue's disguise dissolved away and their stood one good witch  
in a house full of evil baddies.

Prue raised one hand and frozen the entire room. Relieve came only  
for a few seconds for her freeze lasted only a couple of moments. The   
witches looked shocked While Prue switched tactics and sent out a  
mild blast of heat. She didn't want to hurt these displaced souls.   
Curling to the ground and looking up as if they were sunburned Prue  
headed for the main door.

"Cease her and bring her to me, darlings!" the demon commanded.

Prue reached the staircase and grabbed a tapestry sliding down it to  
the first floor. Two security guards sprayed her with automatic rifle   
fire that she was able to deflect wounding one of the guards. As the   
witches reached the top of the stairs Prue blew the front doors into   
splinters and ran across the property and to the electric fence.  
Leaving the fence intact to stop her pursuers, she jumped into the  
air executed a triple somersault and landed on her feet on the far  
side. 

"Mary Lou, eat your heart out," she said to herself stopping only for   
a moment.

She ran for the woods, passed between the trees and headed down the   
creek. Running for several minutes Prue found where the creek exited  
a small cave and crawled inside. She was cold, wet, and tired, but   
alive. Breathing heavily she heard a voice  
behind her. Prue turned to deal with it.

"Easy, Prue. Jumpy aren't we?" Jenny asked.

"Yes, a bit for prey," said Prue leading back.

Jenny looked over her charge, "You aren't too worse for the ware."

"You know I could have needed a little backup there," said Prue   
raising her voice a bit.

"Now you know we can only offer advice, Prue," explained Jenny.

Prue shook her head. "Leo was often in their helping us."

"Leo did a lot of things that didn't follow the rules," said Jenny   
with a great deal of affection.

"I still COULD HAVE use some eyes watching my rear," retorted Prue.

"You're still thinking like the Charmed Ones. You're on your own now.  
Stop living in the past!" replied Jenny.

"Right now I'm just trying to keep living at all. The important thing  
is that I know where that darn cat is!" Prue stood up looked down and  
went into a trance. She reappeared in the empty vault.

"They must all be out looking for me. All the better," said Prue. She   
saw the black cat shimmering under the spot light. Spying a small  
metal Hindu figurine, she picked it up and swung at the cat. Pieces  
fell off it with the first two blows. Striking it with all her  
strength the cat shattered. Prue smiled satisfactorily and then  
vanished. 

Returning to the cave she told Jenny about her success. "And I will   
contact the Texas Rangers. They should be very interested in the  
contents of his little treasure vault. That will put Mr. Upperhouse  
out of business for good."

"Prue that doesn't eliminate his threat," warned Jenny shaking her   
head.

Prue agreed. "True, but it will kill his operation here and I can   
research him a bit more to finish him off. I won't forget him soon.  
Let's get out of this damp cave before I get pneumonia!"

"Thanks, Prue. We won't forget this!" said Jenny orbbing out.

"You're welcome!" Prue called to the ceiling of the cave. "A ride   
would have been nice."  
It was a long walk back to town.


	3. Chapter 3

Return of Ethos

Prue lit the candle, poured two cups of coffee and sat down with  
Jenny in the dining room at Halliwell Manor.

"Two years. Two years since we first met. Two years since that  
fateful night," said Prue finger her cup looking very thoughtfully.  
It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Penny for your thoughts," chimed in Jenny.

"OK. You know what really scares me," replied Prue barely looking at   
Jenny. 

Jenny took Prue's hand. "Are you still bothered about that night?"

"No. It's the fact that I did move on. I did make it without my  
sisters. All those times we said how we couldn't make it without each  
other and here I have. Through mortal life and magical problems, I  
DID MAKE IT. I did make it. But without Piper and Phoebe," mourned   
Prue.

"Yes you did. After someone you love dies, you have to carry on  
without them. And you proved that you could. I'm sure neither of them  
would have doubted it for a minute."

"I know. But I did have you, Jenny. We did have each other. Thank  
you. I really needed someone who knew about all this. Someone who  
would console with me. Someone who knows all the problems us witched   
have," said Prue clasping her hand. She finally smiled, just a little.

"Hey, the same here Prue. You don't get many attachments bouncing  
around in the white lighter world. I knew I could always orb in here  
for a chat. Thanks, yourself," said Jenny smiling.

"Sure. And now to those who aren't here. Phoebe, Piper. Here's to the  
two of you. May you have peace wherever you are. You will always be   
loved back here at the heart of Halliwell Manor. I really miss you  
guys. To the Charmed Ones," said Prue as she raised her glass.

"Absolutely," said Jenny joining her.

Prue put down the cup and just stared into the flame. Thinking.  
Thinking. Thinking.

"Prue. Prue? Snap out of it. This isn't a wake or a séance. You   
invited me her to chat and remember," smiled Jenny.

"Oh right. Sorry. Let's see the club's doing fine. That new room we   
added on really brought in the business. The work at the magazine is   
slowing down a bit. I'm thinking of  
opening my own studio now," said Prue flatly.

"Really?" asked Jenny.

"Yea. I think I need to be on my own now. Also Mark and I seem to be   
getting more serious," said Prue now smiling just a bit. Things had   
really been heating up between the two of them lately.

"This is news. Why do you say that?" asked Jenny.

"Well, we're driving up the coast to Santa Rosita to meet his  
parents. He hasn't asked me, but he did say that he might be  
interested in us being permanent. We haven't discussed it seriously,"   
sighed Prue.

"So Miss Independence may be settling down?" asked Jenny with a   
little irony in her voice. "Is it what you want?"

"I think so. I've always been so sure about what I've done before  
this. This smells of danger and I kind of like it. I don't know what  
I'm going to be doing tomorrow. For once my plans are not set and  
they are not my own," giggled Prue as she sipped her coffee.

"Big change, Prue. You've been alone for awhile now," Jenny reminded   
her.

Prue agreed. "I know. And I really think I'd like to change that. I   
miss the closeness with someone. And Mark is a good man. I could  
spend the rest of my life with him. I'm sure of it," smiled Prue. She   
was a little hesitant, but it didn't show.

"And what about me and the rest that I represent?" asked Jenny   
looking Prue straight in the eye.

"I don't know how he'll take it. I just know he might be the one. I   
really am not interested in marrying a white lighter or a demon. Andy   
taught me that and I never forgot it. So if it's my destiny, then  
I'll be Mrs. Mark Grayson. If not, then well we'll see.  
Cheers!" toasted Prue as she sipped the coffee again and then stirred  
it quietly contemplating her life.

The wind blew off the water as the waves played with the sand. The  
sun had just come up over the hills and the shadows were long. Prue  
and Mark walked along the beach looking at each other.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Mark.

"Just happy. It's so peaceful up here not like the city. My Mother  
used to bring us to the shore before she passed away. I always loved  
it here," said Prue watching the birds play.

Mark looked in the same direction. "It suits you. You belong away   
from all the noise and frustration from the city."

"Well as long as I can still get to work on Monday," gushed Prue.

"You never let me get away with a thing. That's one of the things I  
love about you,"  
said Mark.

"IF only you knew everything!" said Prue quietly.

"Go ahead and tell me. I want to know everything good and bad," said   
Mark holding her and looking in her eyes.

"Well, it depends upon how you look at it. Where do I start?" said   
Prue. "Life isn't everything you see. There is more than behind the   
facade you see. Things you can't even imagine and understand. Things  
that you only hear rumors and legend about. But these things are  
real, Mark."

"Things? Like what? You're really Princess Leia queen of some other  
planet? Aliens really exist? Prue, what are you trying to say? You're   
talking in circles?" said Mark shaking his head.

"Um, I don't really need the levity, Mark," said Prue. "This is hard  
enough."

"Go ahead, Prue. I'm listening," he said looking at her lovingly.

"Um. My sisters and I are...um witches. Genuine broom riding,  
cauldron stirring, spell casting witches," said Prue looking straight  
at Mark.

"Seriously?" he asked chuckling a bit.

"Absolutely!" she said with determination. "See that rock?" Prue   
concentrated on it. It moved toward them slowly. "I can move things  
with my mind. My sisters had other powers."

Mark jumped back a bit. "That's a trick, right?" asked Mark. The rock  
moved back to where in hand been and then jumped into Mark's  
hands. "God! Then it's really true. Prue? It's unbelievable!"

"My father couldn't believe it either. In fact he eventually left us   
because of it. If you feel the same way I understand, Mark," said  
Prue trembling a bit.

"Prue. No I wouldn't. I'm sure this is something I can work out. I  
love every bit of you even the weird and unbelievable parts. So with  
your powers you can do anything?" he asked.

Prue explained, "No not really. We're only supposed to help other   
witches and mortals. Even though my little trick can come in handy,  
the big things we can't do. They always come with consequences. And I   
have even been not using my telekinesis. I prefer to be independent  
of it."

"Prue, you don't have to worry about me. So I get a little extra  
magic in my life. I will appreciate you all the more. That spell you  
cast over me is for keeps. Okay, my darling?'  
asked Mark lovingly.

"Definitely. I love you more than anything, Mark Grayson," said Prue   
reaching up and hugging him tightly.

"The feeling's mutual, the future Mrs. B.," he said holding her   
tightly.

The surf rolled in and out washing away the little footsteps that ran   
down the beach. Two sets side by side lined where the waves had just   
washed away.

"Come on kids. Run passed Mommy and then let's head back," called out   
Prue Grayson. She put the camera to her eye shooting picture after   
picture. 

"That's it. Time for some dinner," she called down the beach as she   
stood up straight and tall still thin and dignified with her long  
hair blowing in the wind. The children ran back to their Mother.

"I saw some shells, Mommy," explained little Wendy, a blonde six-year-  
old girl who had a touch of Piper in her.

"Birdie, I see a birdie," said an excited Jonathan pointing down the   
beach.

Wendy wrinkled her nose. "It was dead. Yuck!"

"Everything does die eventually," said Prue calmly.

"Can WE bring it back?" asked Wendy opening her eyes wide.

Prue took their hands and walked toward the car. "No, Wendy. When he   
is gone, he is where he is supposed to be. Life's is like that."

"Poor birdie," exclaimed Jonathon.

"Yes, it is sad. I'll race you back to the house!" cried Prue   
changing the subject.

The sun was setting as they reached their beachfront house near Santa   
Rosita. Their father had just arrived home and saw his family coming  
form the beach.

"Daddy!" the two kids exuberantly called out as they ran to hug their  
father. 

"Hello, darling," said Prue looking lovingly at her husband. She   
sauntered over and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Have a good day?" he asked one and all.

"Yeaah! We ran up and down the beach and saw the sail boast and  
surfers." Exclaimed Wendy.

"It was very peaceful out there," said Prue tossing her hair  
back. "Too bad I have to head into the city tomorrow. Darlene said   
that she'd watch Wendy and Jonathan."

"What's the occasion?" asked Mark sending the kids into the house.

"That new Russian art museum is having a grand opening and I'm  
covering it. I should be back before six. And I can run by the club  
and check on things," said Prue looking way from her husband.

"Prue. I know you. Nothing's going on at that hour. You're just going  
up there to reminisce," Mark said patiently reaching out to hold her.

"No not really. It's just soothing and I just like to sit there and   
think," said Prue thoughtfully.

"Why don't you take one of those offers and let it go. You're never   
visiting it at night any more," suggested Mark.

"Let it go? No. It's just a place where we all used to relax and be   
ourselves. It's worth more than anything else. You see, I used to run  
up to the camp where I saw my Mother drowned just to think. Now P3   
gives me that same serenity. Besides it's all that's left of the  
three of us," replied Prue.

Mark replied, "But you still have your memories." He held her tightly,

"I know. But they are just so much more vivid there in the quiet of  
the empty building."  
said Prue softly. "I can be close to them there."

"Now, you're not seeing ghost there are you? What about your old  
house?' he replied half in jest.

"That's full of memories too, but those of us growing up with Grams.  
The club was the only place we really felt like sisters, where we  
could really be ourselves after Grams died," Prue said now really   
thinking back.

"Go ahead and have your time but remember we have a dinner date  
tonight. I wan to be alone with my lovely wife," Mark said gazing  
deep into Prue's eyes.

"I haven't forgotten, Mark," said Prue smiling. "Just you and me,  
darling. Let me go get something out for your dinner,"

Mark smiled as she walked away marveling at both the strength and   
fragility in his wife.  
She had lost so much, but had taken on her family with the same gusto   
she had everything else.

Prescott Street had changed little in decades. Driving to the Manor,  
Prue had forgotten she needed Grams' old linen tablecloths for a  
dinner next week. After thinking long and hard about her sisters, she   
parked in front of the old Manor. The yard looked good. It had been  
taken care of by a neighborhood boy. Next door a for sale sign  
reminded Prue that things had changed. She walked up to the front  
door, put the key in the lock and walked in. Plastic drop cloths  
cover all the furniture, while dust covered the pictures and knick-  
knacks. Prue looked melancholy standing in the empty deserted house.  
After she married Mark she was determined to make a better life for  
her children in his parent's San Rosita, but the Manor was too  
important for her family and their future not to keep in the family.  
Its position in the cosmos and the world of good and evil also meant  
it could not be sold or even rented to those who would not  
understand. She surveyed the room squinting concentrating on the  
scene. Slowly she walked over to the fireplace mantle brushing the  
dust off the last picture of the three of them.

"We never could figure what happened to this picture. No one felt  
this touchy-feely the day Grams took it. Piper, Phoebe. It's been ten   
years. Who knows where you three might have been. I miss you guys."   
Prue smiled, brushed off the rest of the dust and placed it lovingly  
back on the mantle where she felt it always belonged.

After a deep sigh, Prue turned toward the stairs and went to fetch  
the tablecloth. Walking up to the attic Prue opened the door  
switching on the light. Nothing happened.

Prue sighed thinking that she had to spend more time here or have  
someone else check it out regularity. Prue being Prue preferred to do  
it herself. Grabbing the emergency flashlight she turned it on. A   
firefly provided more light that it did.

Looking up Prue exclaimed, "Are you trying to tell me something? I'm   
still here when you need me, but I need my own life too. Without my   
sisters, I HAVE to have my own life!" Light appeared to Prue off to  
her left as she swung around and exclaiming,  
"What the hell?"

Two glowing figures appeared. The after worldly spirits of her two   
sisters.

"Hey, Prue,"" waved Phoebe.

"Ummm, you're looking pretty good, Prue," said Piper tossing her hair   
back.

"Whoa! Where'd you two come from?" asked an astonished Prue,

"That's mine line!" said Piper cutely.

"Well, we saw you here and we came. It's just totally fantastic to  
see you, big sister," said Phoebe lighting up.

"So how you've been?" asked Piper.

"Fine. Great, I'm married and have two children now," said Prue still   
a little unsure of her situation.

"We know. My niece and nephew are sooo cute," gushed Phoebe. "Wendy   
so looks like me!"

"Yep. Just like the kids Leo and I never had. Prue, there are a  
couple of others things we wanted to tell you about. I know we of  
this side shouldn't mettle in the affairs on your side, but we think   
you've been awful melancholy lately," suggested Piper

Prue retorted," No, I'm fine!"

"So who's been prancing around the dance floor at P3 at 8 o'clock in  
the morning? Or should I say morn'-ing? Hmm?" asked Piper.

"I just come there to think. There is often a lot on my mind and it  
has a calming affect on me," replied Prue now recovered and defending  
herself.

"Well, Prue. Not that you do it all the time but all that brooding  
just isn't good for you. You have to let go," replied Phoebe with her   
half a psychology degree.

"I'm not brooding!" smiled Prue brushing them off.

"Um. Prue, sitting in the middle of the stage for two and a half  
hours is not good for you. If you're thinking that deep then the  
floor may open up and swallow you. Not an unknown occasioned in our  
line," Piper remainder Prue. "So maybe it's time to let go of that  
old dusty building."

"Piper, it was your life," replied Prue raising her voice just a   
little.

"Life is the operative word. I'm beyond that now. Don't' turn it into  
a memorial. Besides I spent entirely too much time there when I was   
living anyway. Thing's like that don't mean anything here. Think of  
that all the things I could have done. Anyway Prue. Forget about it.  
Move on!" ordered Piper.

"You have such a wonderful family. Dream of them. Remember us, but  
not too much. OK?" asked Phoebe raising her eyebrows glowing just a   
bit as she did in life.

"It was just all the best of times we had together. The laughter and   
tears. We were oh so close then. It was a very special time and that   
reminds me so much of then," said Prue holding back a tear.

"That loud noisy expensive money loser reminds you of the good times.  
It reminds you of us? That is not exactly a compliment, Prue,"   
retorted Piper playing wither hands.

"Money loser? We've done quite well. And those we're good times,  
Piper," said Prue a little taken aback.

Phoebe chimed in. "I think Piper means that we did have other good   
times too. And most of them were right here. Right here at Halliwell   
Manor. And as long as you have it, you have the best reminder,  
sweetie," said Phoebe in her little girl voice.

"Yep. Look at this place. It reminds you of a museum, though right  
now the whole house looks like a museum's attic. Give it a rest,  
Prue. You wanted to live your own life. Give up mine and sell the  
club. Live and love your family up in Santa Roseta. If you need to   
remember or just to talk, then we'll be here. And that's our advice  
to you from beyond the grave," finished Piper who crossed her arms   
and smiled very lovingly at Prue.

"If that's what you want. I'll do it. Now what's this about another   
message?" Prue asked her dearly departed sisters.

"Remember Ethos, that Demon that was released from that ancient  
Chinese ring?"  
asked Phoebe.

"That was a ceremonial hi-sin from the sixth century. But we tricked  
him back into the ring we threw from the bridge into the bay. Case   
closed. Right?" asked Prue perplexed.

"Nope. Last week it washed back up on shore and now he's possessed a   
schoolteacher from Sausalito and he's determined to come after you,  
Prue. He knows we're gone, but he's determined to finish off the last  
of the Charmed Ones," said Piper.

"So I just trick him back into the ring. That should be simple  
enough!" said Prue.

"Nope. He dropped the ring into the foundation of the new Funston  
Plaza building.  
It's under several tons of concrete by now," replied Phoebe.

Prue looked peeved. "Great! We should have destroyed the ring the   
last time we had it."

"Well. If memory serves me. A certain antique loving older sister  
didn't have the heart to destroy something that valuable or that   
beautiful," quipped Piper.

"Or that deadly. Makes no difference now. You've got be prepared. So  
get your butt back to your home, Prue," said Phoebe. "Í think you'll  
find Jenny there to help you. We've kind of used up all our box tops  
and have to get going. But we'll always be here. Bye!"

"So long, sweetie. It's good to see you. "Love ya," sniffed Piper as  
she and Phoebe vanished from the attic.

"Wait. But how do I stop him? How DO I stop him by myself? Back to  
the old Book of Shadows. Out from the trunk it flew and Prue started   
pouring over it for the millionth time.

Carrying a satchel full of potions, Prue struggled back into her  
house having forgotten her other appointments. She never ignored  
warnings when the messengers had traveled so far. Her first reaction  
was to leave her children with the neighbor, but then her motherly   
instinct set in as she decided to guard and watch them herself.  
Leaving a message for her husband she packed and headed for Halliwell   
Manor.

"You mean were going to your house to do MAGIC!" said Wendy excited.

Prue shook her head driving nervously back into the city. "No   
sweetheart. Mommy has to meet someone later and we're all going to do  
it together. SO fasten your seats it going to be a rough night!"

Dragging the old Halliwell cradle out of the attic, Prue stuck Wendy  
into the cradle and Jonathan into Piper's old bed. Prue sat shotgun  
in the hall to wait. Her kids are part of the Halliwell line and she   
assumed they would be safer with her. Pulling out her phone, she  
called Mark.

"Prue, I got your note. I'm worried sick. What's going on?" he asked   
stammering.

"Something from my past. Something is coming after me. I'm sure of  
it. My sisters warned me," replied Prue softly.

Mark shook his head and replied, "Your dead sisters?"

"That's right. They wouldn't have done it if it weren't true. I'm  
really safer here in the Manor. So are the kids, darling," said Prue   
slowly and lovingly.

"I'll come and join you. We can face this together," said Mark. "I   
can be there in..."

"No! Please don't. I already lost my first love in a similar  
situation. So I CAN take care of this myself, darling. Please. I  
couldn't live, if I lost you too. Please stay there. Wendy and  
Jonathan have magical blood in them and they are safer with me. I  
don't know how long this will take. Tell Samantha we took an  
impromptu vacation. I will be back soon, darling. I know it. Sleep  
well and don't worry. Good night," said Prue shedding a couple of   
tears.

"No, I will worry. Good luck, my only love," said Mark and the phone   
went dead.

Prue clapped the phone shut and stared off into the half darkness of  
the hallway. The clouds passed over the half moon as the light  
shinning through the windows dimmed and brightened again. Prue felt  
tense and worried. Would things be all right? Did she  
have the right to subject her children to such danger? What would the   
morning bring?

Piper, Prue and little Phoebe were playing in Grams room who was  
downstairs fixing breakfast. The children had wandered into her room  
and jumped on her bed. Their game of airplane had broken into a  
pillow fight. Prue and Piper kept hitting each other while Phoebe  
cheered them on. Boom. Prue got hit. Once. Twice. Three times…

Whoa. Prue sat straight up in her chair while something was wriggling  
in her lap. Too hard to be a pillow.

"Morning, Mommy!" chirped up Steven. "I'm hungry!"

Prue looked at her son misty eyed. She seemed so happy dreaming of   
tussling with her sisters, but they are gone now. And here's her son  
smiling up at her. Prue grabbed him tightly rocking him. She loved  
him so. That's why she had children. That's why they  
were with her now.

"You know I love you sooo much," said Prue.

Jonathan shook his head. "Me too, Mommy. I love you too! I'm   
hungreee!"

"And we'll take care of you now! Let's check on your sister first,"   
explained Prue.

"Oh. Jay." Jonathan said agreeing with great enthusiasm.

Prue found Wendy asleep so she took Jonathan to the kitchen and  
pulled out some instant oatmeal. Not much else in the house and she  
didn't trust the old refrigerator that had been shut down for several   
years.

"We have got to do something about this house," she said to herself. 

Jonathan just ate his breakfast as only a five year old could.

After breakfast she rummaged through the found some of Phoebe's old   
toys.

"There these should keep you busy, Steven. Wendy is a little easier  
to amuse. I'm sorry the cable isn't connected and we don't have the  
new starlight systems here. Add something else to the list," sighed   
Prue.

After reading to Wendy, she drifted back to sleep. While Wendy rode  
up and down in tune to Prue's breathing, the sound of breaking glass   
came from the conservatory.

"What the hell? That sounds like trouble," Prue said out loud to   
herself. Putting Wendy down she told them both to stay put. Worrying  
about her children, she wishes that they would be safe while she was  
away. A bright glow appeared around them that  
formed a dome. Touching it Prue received a shock. "A forced field?   
This is new. What other tricks will I have up my sleeve? Don't touch  
it, kids. Mommy will be back quickly," said Prue sweetly and she   
headed for the conservatory.

That's everything to date. Hope everyone likes it.

Two large sections of the windows had been shattered inward and the   
clear and colored glass was scattered across the floor and the tarp   
covered furniture. No one else was in sight. With her senses in  
overdrive Prue surveyed the room. No footsteps, no sounds and the  
dust had not been disturbed. Still a cold chill ran up Prue's spine. 

Whoosh! All the air in the room seemed to swirl around her as the  
tarps flapped in the wind and the dust took to the air giving it a  
musty gritty feeling. A flash occurred and some warlock or demon  
appeared in a tuxedo and large red cap laughing heartily. He motioned  
toward Prue knocking her to the ground. Ethos had returned.

"You aren't so tough without you're sisters helping you. Well, I will  
not be banished again by the likes of you. Prepare to die!" he   
hissed. 

Prue looked up form the floor ready to freeze him, but another  
thought came to her. Closing her eyes another Prue appeared next to  
him, followed by one behind him and two more in front of him.

"I am not alone," said the first Prue.

The second one grinned with a slight evil tint.

Prue number three motioned at Ethos' feet giving him a hot foot.

Turning around very confused Ethos faced the fourth incarnation of   
Prue.

"Don't underestimate this witch," she warned sending him flying  
across the room.

The second Prue reached up and froze him in mid-flight.

"Shall we?" asked Prue number three.

"Absolutely," replied the other three.

In unison they recited:

"Ethos prisoner of thy ring,  
Thou shant see another spring.  
From this sphere thou shall go,  
Be banished down into hell's hole."

Immediately a long hollow cavern opened up in the conservatory that  
spit multicolored smoke and fire. The scent of burnt cedar and  
brimstone could be smelled in the wind that whipped up through it.  
The wind seemed to come a live and clutched the frozen body of Ethos.   
Becoming aware of the grasp, he moaned and then was drawn into the  
hole. More smoke and flame followed by the hole closing up not  
appearing to ever have been there. Only a faint smell of ash remained.

The real Prue opened her eyes as her multiple partners disappeared.  
She stood up, sighed and called to the wind, "Thanks for the help   
guys. You did great." Back in the parlor, the shimmering force filed   
vanished as grabbed both of her kids tightly. "Momma loves you both  
so much. Now I can take you home safe and sound." Though in the back  
of her mind, Prue still had a lingering fear for the safety of her   
children. Could she keep them safe forever?

Safely back in their beach house, the kids ran in to meet Daddy. Prue   
dropped the suitcases in the front hallway looking totally exhausted.

"Go run and play. I want to talk to Mom. Now scoot," Mark whispered   
to his children who kissed him and ran off.

"Must have been pretty bad," said Mark whom stood up looking lovingly   
at his wife.

"Bad enough," replied Prue shaking her head in agreement.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked sympathetically.

Prue took one step toward him. "Only in your arms." Mark put them out  
and hugged her  
tightly. "That was the first time I ever really feared for the lives  
of my kids. I've been going after demons and warlocks for all these   
years on my own and that's the first one that came after me. It's all   
changed since it's not only me anymore."

"Well you can keep them safe. You're very talented with your hocus-  
pocus stuff and you're motherly instincts will help keep those kids  
safe. I don't worry about Wendy and Jonathan. I worry about you  
working too hard and worrying too much," said Mark taking her chin in   
his hand.

Prue smiled and then looked grim. "I really could use some extra help   
in that respect and I was thinking.." said Prue slowly.

Safely back in their beach house, the kids ran in to meet Daddy. Prue   
dropped the suitcases in the front hallway looking totally  
exhausted.

"Go run and play. I want to talk to Mom. Now scoot," Mark whispered   
to his children who kissed him and ran off.

"Must have been pretty bad," said Mark whom stood up looking lovingly   
at his wife.

"Bad enough," replied Prue shaking her head in agreement.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked sympathetically.

Prue took one step toward him. "Only in your arms." Mark put them out  
and hugged her  
tightly. "That was the first time I ever really feared for the lives  
of my kids. I've been going after demons and warlocks for all these   
years on my own and that's the first one that came after me. It's all   
changed since it's not only me anymore."

"Well you can keep them safe. You're very talented with your hocus-  
pocus stuff and you're motherly instincts will help keep those kids  
safe. I don't worry about Wendy and Jonathan. I worry about you  
working too hard and worrying too much," said Mark taking her chin in   
his hand.

Prue smiled and then looked grim. "I really could use some extra help   
in that respect and I was thinking.." said Prue slowly.

Safely back in their beach house, the kids ran in to meet Daddy. Prue   
dropped the suitcases in the front hallway looking totally  
exhausted.

"Go run and play. I want to talk to Mom. Now scoot," Mark whispered   
to his children who kissed him and ran off.

"Must have been pretty bad," said Mark whom stood up looking lovingly   
at his wife.

"Bad enough," replied Prue shaking her head in agreement.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked sympathetically.

Prue took one step toward him. "Only in your arms." Mark put them out  
and hugged her  
tightly. "That was the first time I ever really feared for the lives  
of my kids. I've been going after demons and warlocks for all these   
years on my own and that's the first one that came after me. It's all   
changed since it's not only me anymore."

"Well you can keep them safe. You're very talented with your hocus-  
pocus stuff and you're motherly instincts will help keep those kids  
safe. I don't worry about Wendy and Jonathan. I worry about you  
working too hard and worrying too much," said  
Mark taking her chin in his hand.

Prue smiled and then looked grim. "I really could use some extra help   
in that respect and I was thinking.." said Prue slowly.

"What? What was my Pruie thinking about? You never come up with small   
plans. What's the big secret?" he teased her.

"The children are getting older and the schools are really good back  
in the city. And most importantly my family's house kind of helps its   
witch occupants. It's the center of this big magical nexus. The Big  
of Shadows resides there and all our magical  
paraphernalia," explained Prue looking very concerned at her husband.

"Go on," he said flatly.

"And the house is kind of falling into disuse. We could still come  
out her on weekends. I really love it here, but the Manor might be a   
better place to raise our children. Each of the kids could have one  
of my sisters' rooms and we could have the master bedroom. My job is   
still in town. I you had any late nights you could stay at the beach   
house," said Prue running off the ideas.

"But you'd like to move back to your home in the city. I see," he   
said looking alike some look that she couldn't tell.

"There is a lot more to do in the city. I still have a few friends  
and maybe I could take a greater interest in the clubs. And.." said  
Prue.

"Ok. If that's what you want. Pruie I want to be where you are and if   
that's at Halliwell Manor then so be it. It is a lovely old house and  
we can still spend weekends up here," repeated Mark. "When do you  
want to do it?"

"When? Oh not for a while. The Manor needs a lot of work and I just  
don't know where to start. Maybe the kids rooms, no the parlor, no   
definitely the conservatory. I need to replace those broken windows.  
We used to do a lot of that," admitted Prue smiling at the old   
thought.

"For now, how about soothing that's not froze or delivered? I'm  
cooking for you tonight!" announced Mark.

As wonderful as the offer was, Prue still ended up helping him. She   
still enjoyed doing it for the most important thing was that they  
were all together again.  
Ghost Story

"Oh the donuts that they serve you,  
they say they're mighty fine,  
but one rolled off the table and killed a friend of mine.

Oh I don't want to be at Girl Scout Camp.  
Gee Mom I want to go,  
But they won't let me go,  
Gee Mom I want to go home!"

The roar of the Girl Scouts could be heard over the crackling of the   
fire at Camp Ya-som-im-ny. As the camp counselor announced that Troop   
2877 would have a skit next, Prue looked over at Wendy, a tall  
beautiful dark haired ten year old talking and laughing with her  
fellow scouts. It had been more years that Prue wanted to admit to  
since Grams had sent her to the same camp. Prue glowed in the  
experience until she heard the oohs and ahhs of the other campers as  
the fire shoot up flame in brilliant shades of blue and red and  
orange seeming to form shapes and animals. Glancing over at Wendy she  
could see her with her eyes closed humming to herself. Suddenly her  
eyes popped open and Wendy saw the angry eyes of her Mother staring   
directly at her. Wendy knew that she shouldn't be performing in front  
of everyone. Wendy squinted at Prue and Prue shook her head in  
showing her anger only slightly. This was the unspoken language they  
used to discuss these kinds of things in front of outsiders. Wendy  
shot her "who cares" look as the Girl Scouts clapped at the end of  
the skit. Wendy stopped and sat there fuming at her Mother wanting  
her stop her fun.

Asking the scouts what they would like next, the consensus was to  
hear a really scary story.

Wendy yelled out, "My Mom knows the scariest ghost stories. Real   
ones," she said getting back at her mother.

"Mrs. Grayson. Care to tell us one?' asked the counselor.

Prue was caught, as all she could do was agree. Wendy had boxed her  
into a corner again. Wendy could be one stubborn and pride filled  
witch, not unlike her mother. "Sure. Now let me think back. When I  
was a little girl here at this very camp "

"Now Double Blade Brown was a miner who worked in these hills looking  
for GOLD.  
Many years ago they dug mines in these hills and found GOLD. With his   
pickaxe he could dig in a day what took the average miner a week to  
do. Double Blade Brown worked so hard that the mine foreman paid me   
twice the pay of a normal miner. All  
other miners liked Double Edge Brown. The more tunnels he dug, the  
more gold they found and the more bonus money the company paid them.  
All the other miners like him except Shamus McPhee. Shamus McPhee did   
not like him. He did not like him being so popular and most of all  
did not like him earning all that extra money. Money that he felt  
that he should be making. So one night while Double Edge Brown slept   
Shamus McPhee slipped into his cabin carrying a huge double bladed  
axe. With a handle six feet long and a head weighing thirty pounds.  
The biggest, tallest sharpest axe in all of gold mining country. He   
walked in determined to deal with miner Brown. While his victim slept  
in his bunk Shamus McPhee snuck up on him. The moon was full that  
night and the light shone in the window on Double Blade Brown. He was   
facing away from Shamus McPhee, but he stirred in his sleep. Turning  
over on his back his right arm fell off the side of his bed. Smiling   
evilly he reached up with the axe and swung it down. WHOOSH! CRASH!  
The axe stuck in the floor of the cabin after cutting off the arm of   
Double Blade Brown.  
He screamed in pain. OOOOOOOH! And then went silent. Was he dead? Was   
he dead? Shamus McPhee did not know. He wasn't breathing. Walking  
over to the bed he leaned over. Not a sound. He leaned very closely  
and poked at the body. Suddenly he couldn't breath. The left arm had   
reached up and grabbed him by the throat. Tighter and tighter as  
miner Brown's eyes filled with hatred slowly closed his fist around  
Shamus McPhee's neck. Tighter and tighter. Then he threw him down on  
the floor next to him. Shamus McPhee coughed and sputtered trying to   
breath again. Double Edge Brown stood up from his bed with only a  
tiny red bleeding stump in coming out of his right shoulder. The  
blood was as red as his eyes that were filled with hatred and  
vengeance. He picked up that axe, pulled it hard from  
the floor where it had been so deeply embedded. Shamus McPhee looked  
up at Brown and saw him raise that axe. He swung it down missing him  
as Shamus McPhee rolled out from under him. He kicked Double Blade   
brown to the ground. Still stunned a bit form the accident, McPhee  
was able to flee. Flee into the woods. Brown got to her feet, still  
weak and when to the cabin door not seeing his assaulter and yelled  
out, "McPhee. McPhee, McPhee, McPhee!"

"One cold winter morning, Double Blade Brown was cutting wood to  
heat   
the miner's cabins. Right up there near the nature cabin. WHOOSH!   
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! He cut down wood right and left. A noise disturbed  
his concentration, as he looked at one of the many old mine entrances  
in the hill. It could have been a flash or light, an animal or some   
vagrant, but something tweaked in his brain and he saw Shamus McPhee  
at the entrance of the mine. "McPhee! McPhee!" he yelled as  
the   
person disappeared into the mine. "McPhee! McPhee!" he  
shouted as he  
ran up the hill and into the mine entrance. The darkness did not stop   
him. He could hear his footsteps echo up and down the  
tunnel. "McPhee! McPhee!" he called out as that too echoed up  
and   
down the tunnel. Thump, thump, thump went the sound of his feet on  
the rock floor. Thump! Thump! Thump! Down the dark tunnel he ran.  
Thump! Thump! Thump! Then a hollow wooden sound could be heard like  
that of a wooden footbridge. Finally. "Crack!" Double Blade  
Brown   
crashed through the rotten timbers that had sealed up a vertical  
shaft. Down, down through the darkness he plummeted splashing into  
the cold water that hand flooded the tunnel below him. Still holding   
onto his heavy axe he sank to the bottom. Not another sound could be   
heard in the tunnel.

The next day after Double Blade Brown did not return, a search party  
was sent out. Finding his tracks in the snow they traced him to the   
abandoned mine and followed the tracks he left in the mud down the  
tunnel. The freshly broken board indicated his final fate. Saying a  
short prayer, the mining company sealed up the mine and posted a sign  
next to the entrance. "Here lies Double Blade Brown. Miner and   
Woodsman Extraordinaire." And if you don't believe me go up  
behind   
the nature shack and look. You'll find it there. The final  
resting   
place of Double Blade Brown."

Pure sat back and smiled to herself. Every girl around the edge of  
the fire was staring at her wide-eyed holding onto something.

"Now for the scary part. Remember no one ever found his body. The  
body of a man who had a very restless spirit. An unfulfilled task in   
life. Many years ago I sat around this very campfire site hearing the  
same tail I just told you. My troop and I were in the old Mi-mi-do-  
thum cabin near the mess hall which burned down not long afterwards.  
None of us slept that night. The wind whistling through the trees  
sounded like the mournful cry he made and the sound of the woodland  
animals sounded like his axe cutting down those trees. All night long  
we just starred at the patterns in the ceiling. After hours they  
seemed to form shapes that starred back at us sending shivers down  
our sides. OOOOOO. The next day we were up earlier heading for the   
showers. From the showers into the woods we saw a strange new path  
that was not there the night before. Curious we followed it down the  
hill to the camp director's cabin. Behind the cabin was the  
biggest   
neatest stacked and precisely cut pile of wood you ever saw. Still  
smelling of the sap from the free cut wood. What was especially  
strange was that except for the main lodge, no one burned firewood at  
the camp. The next few days more of these strange paths and piles pf   
wood appeared. My cabin mates and I were up at the nature cabin  
looking for pine cones and found the old mine entrance. Mounted on  
the rock was the old worn sign proclaiming the final resting place of   
Double Blade Brown. What was curious was the way the plank across the   
entrance had been pushed out leaving a large gap at the bottom. We  
came to the unexplainable conclusion that the restless spirit of the   
fabled woodsman had returned.  
What were we to do?"

Prue looked over the girls each concentrating on her awaiting the  
next segment. All expect for Wendy who had seen scarier demons and   
warlocks than this. "Cast a spell on him and banish him!" she  
called   
out.

The other girls quickly got on and pushed the same idea. Though close  
to what Prue really did, she gave Wendy a dirty look. Wendy returned   
the same. Even though her answer was to hold a séance, Prue  
continued   
the story.

Now Double Blade Brown was a miner who worked in these hills looking  
for GOLD.  
Many years ago they dug mines in these hills and found GOLD. With his   
pickaxe he could dig in a day what took the average miner a week to  
do. Double Blade Brown worked so hard that the mine foreman paid me   
twice the pay of a normal miner. All  
other miners liked Double Edge Brown. The more tunnels he dug, the  
more gold they found and the more bonus money the company paid them.  
All the other miners like him except Shamus McPhee. Shamus McPhee did   
not like him. He did not like him being so popular and most of all  
did not like him earning all that extra money. Money that he felt  
that he should be making. So one night while Double Edge Brown slept   
Shamus McPhee slipped into his cabin carrying a huge double bladed  
axe. With a handle six feet long and a head weighing thirty pounds.  
The biggest, tallest sharpest axe in all of gold mining country. He   
walked in determined to deal with miner Brown. While his victim slept  
in his bunk Shamus McPhee snuck up on him. The moon was full that  
night and the light shone in the window on Double Blade Brown. He was   
facing away from Shamus McPhee, but he stirred in his sleep. Turning  
over on his back his right arm fell off the side of his bed. Smiling   
evilly he reached up with the axe and swung it down. WHOOSH! CRASH!  
The axe stuck in the floor of the cabin after cutting off the arm of   
Double Blade Brown.  
He screamed in pain. OOOOOOOH! And then went silent. Was he dead? Was   
he dead? Shamus McPhee did not know. He wasn't breathing. Walking  
over to the bed he leaned over. Not a sound. He leaned very closely  
and poked at the body. Suddenly he couldn't breath. The left arm  
had   
reached up and grabbed him by the throat. Tighter and tighter as  
miner Brown's eyes filled with hatred slowly closed his fist  
around   
Shamus McPhee's neck. Tighter and tighter. Then he threw him down  
on   
the floor next to him. Shamus McPhee coughed and sputtered trying to   
breath again. Double Edge Brown stood up from his bed with only a  
tiny red bleeding stump in coming out of his right shoulder. The  
blood was as red as his eyes that were filled with hatred and  
vengeance. He picked up that axe, pulled it hard from  
the floor where it had been so deeply embedded. Shamus McPhee looked  
up at Brown and saw him raise that axe. He swung it down missing him  
as Shamus McPhee rolled out from under him. He kicked Double Blade   
brown to the ground. Still stunned a bit form the accident, McPhee  
was able to flee. Flee into the woods. Brown got to her feet, still  
weak and when to the cabin door not seeing his assaulter and yelled  
out, "McPhee. McPhee, McPhee, McPhee!"

Double Edge Brown did not find him, that night, that week or that  
year. But as he raised  
that huge monstrous act to the sky he swore that he would find him.  
He would find the  
man who had done this to him. The mine foreman who still kike Brown  
knew that he  
would never work in the mine again. Brown had nowhere else to go now  
so he learned.  
He learned how to use that huge axe. He could cut timber for the   
supports for the mine, or  
for the kitchen, He could slip boards for building or wagons so   
precisely that all were  
amazed. But his true calling was to take that big double bladed as  
and swing it right and  
left and right and left making trails and cutting down every tree in   
sight. And as she herded it a huffing and a puffing he mumbled  
something to himself. No one dared can close for he cut down  
everything in his axes path. But underneath his breath one could hear  
him saying, "McPhee! McPhee! McPhee!"

"One cold winter morning, Double Blade Brown was cutting wood to  
heat   
the miner's cabins. Right up there near the nature cabin. WHOOSH!   
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! He cut down wood right and left. A noise disturbed  
his concentration, as he looked at one of the many old mine entrances  
in the hill. It could have been a flash or light, an animal or some   
vagrant, but something tweaked in his brain and he saw Shamus McPhee  
at the entrance of the mine. "McPhee! McPhee!" he yelled as  
the   
person disappeared into the mine. "McPhee! McPhee!" he  
shouted as he  
ran up the hill and into the mine entrance. The darkness did not stop   
him. He could hear his footsteps echo up and down the  
tunnel. "McPhee! McPhee!" he called out as that too echoed up  
and   
down the tunnel. Thump, thump, thump went the sound of his feet on  
the rock floor. Thump! Thump! Thump! Down the dark tunnel he ran.  
Thump! Thump! Thump! Then a hollow wooden sound could be heard like  
that of a wooden footbridge. Finally. "Crack!" Double Blade  
Brown   
crashed through the rotten timbers that had sealed up a vertical  
shaft. Down, down through the darkness he plummeted splashing into  
the cold water that hand flooded the tunnel below him. Still holding   
onto his heavy axe he sank to the bottom. Not another sound could be   
heard in the tunnel.

The next day after Double Blade Brown did not return, a search party  
was sent out. Finding his tracks in the snow they traced him to the   
abandoned mine and followed the tracks he left in the mud down the  
tunnel. The freshly broken board indicated his final fate. Saying a  
short prayer, the mining company sealed up the mine and posted a sign  
next to the entrance. "Here lies Double Blade Brown. Miner and   
Woodsman Extraordinaire." And if you don't believe me go up  
behind   
the nature shack and look. You'll find it there. The final  
resting   
place of Double Blade Brown."

Pure sat back and smiled to herself. Every girl around the edge of  
the fire was staring at her wide-eyed holding onto something.

"Now for the scary part. Remember no one ever found his body. The  
body of a man who had a very restless spirit. An unfulfilled task in   
life. Many years ago I sat around this very campfire site hearing the  
same tail I just told you. My troop and I were in the old Mi-mi-do-  
thum cabin near the mess hall which burned down not long afterwards.  
None of us slept that night. The wind whistling through the trees  
sounded like the mournful cry he made and the sound of the woodland  
animals sounded like his axe cutting down those trees. All night long  
we just starred at the patterns in the ceiling. After hours they  
seemed to form shapes that starred back at us sending shivers down  
our sides. OOOOOO. The next day we were up earlier heading for the   
showers. From the showers into the woods we saw a strange new path  
that was not there the night before. Curious we followed it down the  
hill to the camp director's cabin. Behind the cabin was the  
biggest   
neatest stacked and precisely cut pile of wood you ever saw. Still  
smelling of the sap from the free cut wood. What was especially  
strange was that except for the main lodge, no one burned firewood at  
the camp. The next few days more of these strange paths and piles pf   
wood appeared. My cabin mates and I were up at the nature cabin  
looking for pine cones and found the old mine entrance. Mounted on  
the rock was the old worn sign proclaiming the final resting place of   
Double Blade Brown. What was curious was the way the plank across the   
entrance had been pushed out leaving a large gap at the bottom. We  
came to the unexplainable conclusion that the restless spirit of the   
fabled woodsman had returned.  
What were we to do?"

Prue looked over the girls each concentrating on her awaiting the  
next segment. All expect for Wendy who had seen scarier demons and   
warlocks than this. "Cast a spell on him and banish him!" she  
called   
out.

The other girls quickly got on and pushed the same idea. Though close  
to what Prue really did, she gave Wendy a dirty look. Wendy returned   
the same. Even though her answer was to hold a séance, Prue  
continued   
the story.

"Caroline Stillwell, our camp counselor was very in tune with  
nature.   
She could charm the animals and get them to perform tricks. It turns  
out she was a Wiccan, a practitioner of the nature arts and mystical   
powers that emanate from all of nature around us."

"She was a witch?" asked Lucy sitting near Wendy.

Prue shook her head. "No, this was faith not her profession. She   
believed in nature and was in tune with it. When my cabin mates and I  
told her our concerns, she agreed to help us. So at midnight everyone  
in her cabin went down to this very campfire site. Preparing a tall   
fire we joined hands and circled it. Caroline dressed in a long white   
robe chanted for several minutes and told us to begin chanting, too.

Nature's spirits hear our plea,  
Woodsman's spirit get up and flee,  
Death's dominions take him away,  
Not to bother us beyond this day.

"Reciting this over and over, the fire burned hotter and hotter.  
"Do   
not let go, children," said Caroline. "We are safe in our  
circle."   
Suddenly a noise came in the direction of our cabin. Someone was  
stomping noisily through the woods. He was calling out, "McPhee!  
McPhee! McPhee!' At he edge of our campfire site was the tall  
woodsman swinging his giant axe over his head. His eyes glowed like  
to bright coals, as did the remains of the stump of his  
arm. , "McPhee! McPhee! McPhee!" he continued to call out as  
he   
approached our circle. We kept chanting our spell because we were too  
scared to move. Caroline saw him approach; looked up to the sky  
making another plea in a language we didn't understand. The fire  
jumped higher as what could only be the grim reaper himself job form  
the fire and grab at the axe man still swinging his mighty axe. The   
spirit was sucked up and pulled into the fire still  
screaming, "McPhee! McPhee! McPhee!" and his mighty axe flew  
inches   
over our heads striking down a strong oak. The last tree ever cut  
down by Double Blade Brown. Immediately the fire went out and we were   
done. Nothing was ever heard of again about the ghost of Double Blade   
Brown. I should know. I was there. So you disbelieve me? Hmm? Mrs.  
White? What type of tree is that stump you're sitting on?"  
Prue asked  
pointing to her.

"Oh, dear. Some kind of hardwood." She said embarrassed  
talking to  
the whole campfire.

"Like oak. That is the tree that the axe fell. The axe of Double  
Blade Brown!" said Prue sitting back, crossing her hands and   
finishing the tale.

"My goodness," said the camp director. That was quite a tale.  
Thank   
you, Mrs., Grayson. Kimberly, would you start the final song,  
please?"

The Girl Scouts finished up with Kum Ba Yah. As the girls began to  
file back to their cabins, Prue motioned her daughter over to the  
edge of he campfire site.

"Just what were you doing back there young lady? Performing  
you-know-  
what in public in front of mortals!" said Prue sternly.

"Ma-thur! I was just having a little fun. No one got hurt. Magic  
can   
be fun. You never even use your powers. I like t show my  
creativity,"   
explained Wendy very precisely and very grown up.

"Wendy Grayson, You have a great gift, but you don't want to  
be   
exposed or worse attract some demon or warlock. Nothing attracts them  
like performing magic. I don't want anything to happened to  
you,"   
stressed Prue.

Wendy shook her head. She could be as strong, proud and stubborn as  
Prue herself causing them to clash often. "I promise to watch  
myself,   
but I don't THINK there are any around a Girl Scout Camp."

"Just remember what I told you. Now off to bed, Wendy," she  
said   
kissing her.

"Night, Mother," said Wendy turning away. With one last  
thought she  
asked how much of that tale was true.

"Just the background. I never vanquished a spirit until AFTER I  
became one of the Charmed Ones. Good night, sweetie. I'll see you  
next Saturday. And don't forget to change your underwear!"

"Yes, Ma-thur," replied Wendy shaking her head.

Early the next morning Prue was up walking out her towel over her   
shoulders. Humming one of her favorite tunes, she walked down the  
steps and to her surprise found next to the cabin a fresh cut pile of  
wood three feet high and eight feet long.

"Cool. Someone is trying to scare us," she said out loud.  
Walking   
down to the showers she also noticed a new path leading from the  
showers out into the woods that seemed to end a hundred feet into the  
woods. "Weird!" thought Wendy.

Throughout the day similar reports came from the other parts of the  
camp. A calm stillness came down over the camp and few people slept  
for the second night in a row.

"AHHHHHHHH!" came a scream watching up Wendy's cabin just  
as the sun  
was coming up. Running outside Lucy who was heading to the necessity  
had found a dead deer just behind their cabin. It had been purposely   
killed with some large sharp instrument. Blood was splattered all  
over the outside wall and run down the hill. Wendy headed for her sat-  
phone. 

"Ring. Ring!" went the phone beside Prue's side of the  
bed. "

"What time is it?" mumbled Prue. Though it was almost six  
Prue was  
still upset. "Uh, hello!"

"Mother. He's here! He's here in our camp right now!"  
said Wendy  
urgently. 

"He who, sweetie!" asked Prue sitting up.

"Double Blade Brown. He left a calling card out behind our cabin.  
This deer was chopped a deer to death!"

"Honey, it couldn't have been him. Someone is just trying to  
scare   
you," said Prue trying to reassure her.

"That's what I thought when I found the stacked wood  
yesterday,"   
cried Wendy.

Prue shook her head a moment. "Wood?"

"Mommy, I'm scared," said the usually unflappable Wendy.

"All right. I'll come up there this morning and look around.  
Stay   
calm," said Prue.

"Bye, Mommy!" sniffed Wendy.

Mark turned over. "What's up?"

"Oh, something funny is going on up at the camp. Wendy's  
worried   
which makes me think something is up. I'm heading up there,"  
said   
Prue looking worried.

Prue headed out quickly and got there just after breakfast finished.   
Walking past her daughter's cabin she walked up to the hill where  
all   
the abandoned boarded up mines were. Approaching the one she hand   
mentioned in her story, it had not changed much in thirty years. More  
brush had grown up around it, though she could tell some people had  
just looked at it probably because of her story. The old sign still  
hung next to the boarded up entrance. The old oak board looked more   
weathered than she remembered, but were still quite solid. Behind the  
bushes she found some fresh splinters a hole in the board. Reaching  
inside, she could feel that the board had been hacked again and  
again. Splinters covered the ground outside. Somehow someone had  
broken out of this old mine. But could it be? Prue was quite  
perplexed. She went to find her daughter.

In the craft shack Prue found Wendy not really paying attention to  
the basket she was supposed to be making. She brightened up seeing  
Prue. Not trying to look too worried she created her Mother.

"It is good to see you. The whole camp is on edge with rumors.  
Two   
more deep animals have been found," said Wendy quietly.

"Mrs. Grayson? You are back early. We didn't expect you until  
the end  
of the week," said the craft cabin counselor.

Prue smiled. "I heard here was some trouble and.."

"No, nothings wrong. Everything is fine," she claimed as she  
walked   
off.

Prue could tell that there was a problem. Though she couldn't  
spend   
the night, she had brought her dark demon busting clothes to watch  
and wait. She was determined to catch whatever was out there.

Taking a position halfway between the sealed cave and her daughter  
cabin, Prue crotched behind a rock and waited. The full moon rose in  
the sky as the lightened ever so slightly. Prue shifted trying to  
keep both her legs awake. These late night vigils were easier when  
she was younger with her sisters, she thought massaging her calf. A   
little light appeared behind her and she turned around startled.

"Just me. Thought you could use some company," said Jenny.

Shaking out the fright Prue scowled at her white lighter. "You  
really   
got me that time. Still its good to see you. Know anything about my   
target here tonight?"

"No. The Elders don't keep close track on errand spirits.  
Just those  
in the good vs. evil racket. Though it seems this rampaging spirit  
came to your call. 1-800-PRUE'S SPELL."  
said Jenny raising one eyebrow looking cute.

"Yea, I kind of figured that out thinking her. I get rapped up  
telling this story that gets sidetracked to a vanquishing and before  
you know it fiction is coming to life. Thank God no one has been  
hurt. I need to find him and send him onto wherever we send craze  
spirits to," explained Prue.

"Heaven, most likely. Shhh!" hushed Jenny.

Sounds could be heard coming from behind them. The crush of leaves  
and sticks in the underbrush, the slicing of fresh cut trees and a  
low moaning of a lonesome voice. "McPhee! McPhee! McPhee!"

"That's him!" exclaimed Prue as she rushed at him. With  
one waved of  
her hand, his axe flew and stuck deeply in a large tree trunk. He  
turned angrily to Prue with his red eyes blazing. They glowed in the  
bright moon light. Prue tried to freeze, but he just gave an evil  
grin and disappeared. Pivoting on her heel, she saw him over by his  
axe pulling it from the tree. Prue sent out a fireball at him that  
set the ground cover and tree on fire, but did not phase him.

Jenny orbed in behind her. "This is one tough ghost," said  
Prue   
trying freeze him. No effect as the ghost appeared behind them.  
Grabbing Prue and Jenny, Prue closed her eyes. Multiple Prues  
appeared all around Double Blade Brown. He swung his axe making them  
all the Prues vanished vanish. Prue winced as she tried to recite:

"Nature's spirits hear our plea,  
Woodsman's spirit get up and…"

Double Blade Brown pulls out a handkerchief and stuff it in her  
mouth. A mute witch has little bit, thought Prue who struggled in his   
grasp. Jenny orbed out as Prue was thrown to the ground. Double Blade  
Brown starred at Prue who felt paralyzed. Raising his axe above his  
head he stared down at Prue smiling evilly as his eyes glowed  
brightly. Prue could not even kick at him in her present state.

"Brown, over here!" called out a far off strange voice.

He ghost looked up, anger filled his eyes and he took off after him   
swinging his axe wildly.

In orbed Jenny who pulled he gag from his mouth and rubbed her arms  
and legs back from the paralysis. "Go get, champ!" she  
encouraged   
helping Prue up. Prue saw him running toward the old mines after a  
ghostly figure. Starting again Prue recited:

"Nature's spirits hear our plea,  
Woodsman's spirit get up and flee,  
Death's dominions take him away,  
Not to bother us beyond this day,  
Away send him for better or worse,  
Remove form this camp the woodsman curse!"

Reciting it three or four times Double Blade Brown stopped in his  
tracks. He started to dematerialize as Prue approached him. Looking  
down at Prue through the same red eyes that looked less forbidding he   
whispered, "Thank you for releasing me!" Then he was reduced  
to white  
fireflies and disappeared.

"Thus ends the legend of Double Blade Brown," sighed Prue.  
Seeing the  
axe she picked the heavy implement up. "Not exactly a wall  
trophy. In  
fact this is one souvenir best thrown in the fire."

"He was a victim of his own thirst for revenge," said Jenny  
running   
her hand up and down the axe handle.

"Yea, but with a little unnecessary help from me," replied  
Prue. "If  
I hadn't summoned him, then.."

"Then he wouldn't be a peace now. What you did wasn't all  
THAT bad,  
Prue dear," retorted Jenny.

Another person approached them. Prue a little startled asked,  
"Uh,   
was that you who called him?"

"Aye," he replied.

"Thanks. I was in a pretty bad place at the moment. Prue  
Grayson,,"   
she said offering her hand. "And you're?"

The tall man grinned and disappeared replying, "Shamus  
McPhee."

"That wasn't?" asked Prue looking very perplexed.

"The target for the ghostly woodsman quest. I quickly brought his  
spirit back. It was the only thing that would stop Brown. And it  
did," replied Jenny smirking just a bit.

"Whoa. That was a heavy duty end run there. My thanks to you and  
whoever helped you," said Prue brightening up.

"You're welcome. Oh. Got to go. Take it easy Prue," said  
Jenny as she  
found herself along again. Looking at the axe Prue concentrated on it  
and it burst into flame. Secondly, the axe head melted and soon it  
was gone.

"Good," said a great relieved Prue as she headed for her  
care. Camp  
Ya-som-im-ny and her daughter were safe again.


End file.
